Armory of the Forgotten Hero
by Masked Spider
Summary: The legend goes that there are four cardinal heroes. But fact and fable are often twisted in the land of Melromarc, while others are left out completely. One such fact is that there is actually another hero, the Armory hero, who doesn't wield a primary weapon. But the world will soon remember as Darius Saxon is called to remind the people that there aren't four heroes, but five.
1. Armory of the Forgotten Hero

**Armory of the Forgotten Hero**

**All properties belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs.**

Unknown Mountain Range

An eerie quiet currently characterized the mountainous area as mist drifted in and out of the tree line. What finally broke the silence was the sound of light footsteps as a lithe but agile figure gracefully stepped from one rocky outcropping to the next. At first glance she seemed like an ordinary girl, save for the leather armor she wore that left her upper arms exposed, while a pair of armored gloves covered her hands. Her light grey pants were the slightest bit baggy, allowing her a better freedom of movement, even despite the kneepads and shin guards tied around them.

But that was were all normalcy ended as for whatever reason the girl sported a tail flitting about from the back of her pants, very much resembling a light yellow weasel's tail. A set of weasel ears the same color as her tail sat upon the top of the mysterious girl's head as well, flicking from time to time in an attempt to hear anyone sneaking up on them. But the strangest feature of all, to some at least, was the large studded club she held in her right hand which was currently balanced on her shoulder. Despite its size, the cat girl had no trouble toting it along as she arrived at her destination, a cliff overlooking a misty landscape full of greenery.

Several feet back from the cliff's edge stood another mystery. A small collection of weapons was embedded in the ground or in strange creatures resembling mountain goats, but with serrated and gnarled horns as well as horrendous fangs. A figure stood over the largest one, which had a decorated silver ax with runes on the handle buried in it. In contrast to the arriving cat girl, the stranger was most definitely a young man with brown hair that sported silvery streaks on his bangs.

He wore a very short, faded white cape that rested on the back of his neck and a piece of cloth falling down from each shoulder. A flexible armor chest plating covered his front and back while studded shoulder pads covered down to his elbows. He wore armor over his boots and shin guards that protected up to his knees. A belt with a number of pouches and a silver saber in a sheath adorned his waist. His look was rounded out with a pair of grey gloves and black bands which appeared to hold some type of white jewels.

With a grunt, he yanked the ax out of the monstrous goat and rested the weapon on his shoulder while also pulling a three-pronged spear from the ground before turning to the arriving weasel girl. The two seemed familiar with each other as the blond-haired girl smiled at the weapon wielder. He returned a small smile of his own before turning to look back out over the landscape.

Alternate America: Present

'Oh what in the world,' Darius thought groggily as he suddenly stirred in his bed before finally forcing his eyes open. 'Another night, another showing of that weird dream.' The twenty-year-old glanced at his clock, hoping he could roll over and go back to sleep. But as luck, or lack thereof, would have it he'd managed to wake up at 7:45 am.

'Well not much point in going back to sleep now, not with the rest of the family about to wake up.' In this case, the rest of the family also included an insistent torte-colored cat who was scratching at his door, ready to get her breakfast. "Alright, I'm up, I'm up," Darius said as he forced himself out of bed to feed the hungry feline. It was a familiar scenario which often happened on the weekend, especially during the summer when he was home from college. He'd wake up or would be woken up by the cat before proceeding downstairs for breakfast.

He'd then spend time downstairs with his parents, engaging in a bit of friendly with friendly conversation before heading over to his laptop or back to his room where the videogame console was. Now if this had been a few years ago, he'd be called a shut-in or something else along those lines. But it was something far more common in the day and age they were living in right now. The reason for the current state of affairs occurred five years ago, when a number of domestic terrorist cells managed to pull off a few coordinated attacks which almost knocked out the power grid to the east coast.

The police, FBI, and other anti-terrorist government forces managed to stop them before the damage became severe, saying they owed much to the new drone tech which was used to locate and plan a quick counteroffensive against the threat. So thanks to the incident it was almost no problem at all for the government to push through a bill allowing mass production of the drones to monitor the streets and skies of cities and towns alike. It seemed alright at first with everyone feeling safe knowing that there were people watching over them and keeping them safe. But it soon became clear that the technology wasn't perfect, nor were the people who operated it.

A year and a half after the drones were signed into law and a substantial number were in the air, incidents began occurring. Cases of mistaken identity or people being wrongly arrested because the drones mistook them for committing a crime began popping up. Others began reporting harassment as some drones seemed, according to them, to focus more closely on certain areas or certain people. So the mechanical watchdog's systems were made more and more automated with specialized difference engines to help identify whether or not crimes were actually occurring.

Despite the attempted fixes, however, problems still persisted over the next two and a half years as the drones continued to have the occasional case of falsely identifying a crime in progress. A lot of people began spending more time indoors as a result, fearful that a drone might spy them and mistake them for someone committing a crime. Making matters worse, four years after the drones became a part of everyone's lives, the not-so-wise powers that be declared that in order to make the system more efficient a curfew would be issued around all major cities and towns. The hope was that the drones would be most effective observing crimes at the hours they would most commonly occur, but at the same time, it meant anyone unlucky enough not to make it home before then was almost always arrested.

So Darius, like many others, began looking for more indoor hobbies. He was already familiar with video games and comics, but the real gem for him came in the form of anime and manga. It gave him an entertaining escape from a world which had become all too similar to a police state. But even with a mass of entertainment, one can only stay in the same place for so long and that's why today, Darius decided to venture out of the house for a little event known as an anime con which just so happened to be near his place of residence that year. In hindsight, he should've planned his day a little better.

A Block from the Local Library: That Evening

'Crap, crap, crap, crap!' thought Darius with a mix of annoyance and concern for his own well-being as he walked quickly, but not too quickly down the sidewalk. 'That signing at the end of the day took way too long. Why, why, why did I not leave when I had the chance?!' Well truthfully it was obvious why he didn't leave beforehand. The author of one of his favorite manga did not make a lot of public appearances, meaning he might've missed out on a once in a lifetime chance if he'd left then and there.

But between that and getting through the crowd at the convention, he'd lost all track of time and was now hurrying home in an effort to keep from getting caught after curfew went into effect. Problem was, said curfew would be occurring in five minutes and he was at least fifteen minutes from his house. 'Alright think,' Darius pondered as he tried to stay calm, 'the patrols become more intense the moment curfew starts, but the main force of the drones still goes block by block. So if I can hide somewhere for a bit, I might be able to avoid them before heading home, but where can I hide?'

His answer came as he turned the corner to see the local library, one of the few places in the neighborhood allowed to be open past the curfew thanks to being an entity of the state. Wasting no time, Darius broke into a quick run before ducking in through the front entrance. He quickly closed the door behind him and peered out the window for a moment, trying to spot any drones flying in the air. He held his breath when one actually did fly by, but it only hovered around the area for a few moments before continuing on its programmed route. 'Whew,' the tired college student thought, 'that was too close.'

The twenty year old then proceeded to move away from the door and into the practically deserted library. He made a quick call to his family in hopes that they might be able to contact the authorities and explain why he was out past curfew before proceeding into the main part of the library itself. 'It's pretty much just me and the librarian behind the desk until my family's able to get this mess straightened out, so I may as well pick out something to read for a bit.' Now he could've read the manga he'd also purchased that day, but he decided it might be a bit rude given that he was in the library and not a lot of people stopped by here these days to read the books within.

So his eyes roamed the shelves for the first interesting sounding title he could find until landing on a white book in the fantasy section. 'The Record of the Five Cardinal Heroes,' Darius thought as he pulled the book out and opened it up to the first page. 'What the heck, haven't looked at a good fantasy in a while.' He took the book with him and sat down at the nearest table, quickly noting that the inside pages had strange black pictures accompanying its words.

'Now let's see,' Darius mused as he began to read, 'In order to save the world from waves of apocalyptic catastrophe, four heroes will normally be summoned. Each of them will be known by the distinct weapon they wield: The sword hero, the bow hero, the shield hero and the spear hero. However, should the state of the world become too unbalanced before their summoning, a fifth hero shall be called, one who has wielded numerous weapons whenever they appear: The Armory Hero.'

'Now that's certainly an odd title,' Pondered the twenty-year old before flipping through more of the book. Each hero had their own page with detailed information about them, but when he got to the page about the Armory Hero everything but the title page was blank. 'I think I'd better show this to the librarian. It's not good to leave an unfinished bo-what the?!' For some reason, the book had begun glowing as the pages started to turn rapidly of their own accord. The light grew brighter and brighter until Darius was forced to close his eyes.

Suddenly, the book flew out of his hands as the floor seemed to disappear underneath him. The confused Otaku opened his eyes and immediately regretted it as he saw that he was now falling through some kind of tunnel made of light. "WHAT'S GOING ON?!" he yelled at the top of his lungs before his back and head suddenly impacted against something solid.

He hissed in pain a bit as he slowly got up to a sitting position, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "What in the world just happened," Darius thought aloud before glancing at something on his wrists, "And where did these come from?" At some point during his fall, a pair of black bands had appeared on his arms, each with a white pearl-like jewel on the tops of them. He tried pulling and tugging on them, but found that while he could move them up his arms and even take them off, he couldn't separate the bands from his person. He even tried throwing them and found that they were stuck to his hands.

"Oh please tell me I just fell asleep at the library," Darius groaned as he climbed to his feet and dusted off his jeans. The weather had been on the cooler side that day, so he'd decided to go with a green jacket vest over a grey shirt with short sleeves, which he was now even more grateful for as it appeared to be relatively cold wherever he was. 'Definitely not at the library anymore,' he thought with equal measures of wonder and concern as he took in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a large brick room that had apparently been abandoned for some time, and the dank feeling given off by the air seemed to indicate that he was underground.

But what caught his attention was the large stone in the middle of the room and the racks of numerous weapons lining all four of the walls. Looking down, he also noted a large magic circle on the floor. 'Gee, I wonder what kind of occult happenings used to take place here,' thought Darius as he walked to the back wall and picked up one of the weapons. Much to his surprise, words suddenly danced in front of his vision. 'What the heck, weapon copy proceeding, and what in the world is this, store weapon?' He didn't understand it fully, but for some reason his vision now looked like the HUD of an RPG game.

Curious as to what would happen, he reached out in front of him and pressed the spot in the air that looked like the 'yes' button. The screen changed then as the weapon was suddenly absorbed by some kind of white light coming from his wrist bands. 'Storage complete,' read the HUD as Darius tried his best not to freak out at the fact that he just made a weapon disappear into thin air. "Okay, so I can make weapons disappear somewhere, I wonder."

He picked up another weapon, this one an old sword and repeated the process. As before, the weapon disappeared into what he believed to be some kind of inventory displayed on the HUD. "Alright, so it seems the weapon copy thing works automatically but I've got to decide whether or not I want to store something," the casual gamer mused aloud, "And given the fact that everything so far seems to be working like a video game." He reached up into the air again and pressed what appeared to be some kind of inventory button in the bottom right of his vision, which brought up everything he'd made disappear so far.

Taking a deep breath, Darius selected the first weapon he'd picked up earlier, a worn battle ax. As if by magic, the weapon reappeared in his hands, though he almost dropped it out of surprise. "Hello, someone's got a new trick," he said almost happily before using the store command to make it disappear again. "Well if it's a video game I've wound up in, then let's test the limits of this inventory system." It was apparently a large inventory as he was able to copy and store every weapon in the room before finally turning to the one and only exit, a staircase that went upwards.

It was a rather lengthy walk but after a few minutes he reached what looked like an exit. There was one problem, however, it seemed to be sealed. 'Okay,' he thought as he looked around the edges of the door, 'these things always got some kind of hidden switch or condition that allows them to open, so where's the one for this door?' Darius wondered for a moment if he could scan it with the HUD before a sudden noise caused him to back away from the door.

Some kind of seal with wings had appeared on the door, causing it to slide upwards and letting in fresh air from the outside. 'Huh, well that didn't take too much work,' Darius almost laughed to himself as he poked his head out the door, noting that it was dark out while checking to make sure there was nothing there before stepping forward. In hindsight, he probably should've remembered to look up. A giant foot suddenly slammed down on the ground to his left, kicking up a large amount of dust and nearly causing him to stumble.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Darius as he looked up to see that the giant foot was attached to a massive, round bird with some kind of feathers protruding from the top of its head. In fact the bird was so large that he realized its looming form was the reason he'd assumed the moon wasn't out at first. 'If this is like a video game, then this is one of those bosses you're supposed to run away from in the tutorial,' he thought as he turned and ran in a zigzagging pattern, hoping that if the monster bird did notice him it wouldn't be able to peck him off the ground easily.

But as it turned out, the giant fowl wasn't alone as a number of large birds about the size of ostriches suddenly began pouring out of the woods where he was running too. Each of them came in a different color, with some being blue, others yellow, some white and even a few pink ones. What was worse, the pack of birds was clearly coordinated as the line of them split up in two directions, cutting off any escape route he could see as they all formed a circle around their fleeing prey, forcing him to stop in the center. "Well this is definitely not how I wanted to die," Darius said as he turned back to look upon the giant approaching bird.

He couldn't tell for sure but it almost looked a little irritated. "Alright then, guess I got no choice," he thought aloud as he quickly opened his inventory and selected the best weapon he currently had, "Bring it on you giant canary!" A battle ax materialized in his hands as he took the best form of a fighting stance that he could. For some reason, the giant bird stopped after witnessing this feat, its head tilting in slight confusion.

"How did you do that," said a clearly female voice from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Huh," was Darius's response as he looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"That weapon was left in the temple, how did you summon it?" questioned the voice, this time more direct. Darius looked up towards the source and realized that the voice was actually coming from the giant bird.

"Did you just talk," he questioned with a bit of skepticism in his voice, "How in the world can you talk?"

"I have learned many things over the centuries," replied the giant bird, "but it has been some time since I last spoke to a human, so allow me a moment to take a form better suited for conversation." The giant talking bird began to glow as her form shifted and shrank down several sizes until she was actually shorter than him. As the light faded, a little silver-haired girl with wings wearing a white dress characterized with robed sleeves and red markings stood before him. "I am Fitoria, Queen of all Filolials."

"Uh, pleased to make your acquaintance, your majesty," said Darius as he sent his weapon back to the inventory before bowing. "Sorry if I'm trespassing, but I didn't really come here by choice-."

"Your wrists," said Fitoria as she pointed at his hands.

"Beg your pardon," questioned the confused college student as he held up his hands.

"That temple is a tribute to the fifth cardinal hero," explained Fitoria, "It is sealed so that no one else may enter freely, yet you appeared within it. If my suspicions are correct, then you should also possess the jeweled bands."

"Oh you mean these things," said Darius as he held out his wrists for the Filolial queen to inspect, "They somehow clamped onto me when I got transported here and-."

"So it's true," Fitoria said with a tone of surprise and, relief possibly, "you've appeared, which means the world is in worse peril than I thought."

"Uh, you're gonna have to explain that one," said Darius as he rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

"Those bands are the weapons of the fifth cardinal hero," explained Fitoria, "One who is only summoned when the forces of the world are greatly imbalanced. They are what mark you as the current Armory Hero." It all clicked then. Some way somehow, he'd been summoned to the world within the book he'd been reading, a world which he would soon realize had more problems than just the monsters.

**And welcome everyone to my newest story! Credit for the story idea and character go to fellow reader Noble Eight (Sorry I'm late on doing full fan recognition. Promise to do it more in the future). Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this Rising of the Shield Hero fanfiction and feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Darius learns about his new job. 'Til then.**


	2. Fitoria's Guide to Armories

**Fitoria's Guide to Armories**

Unknown Ruins

"So let me see if I've got all of this straight," said Darius as he ate some, hopefully sanitary, blue berries out of a bowl provided to him by the filolials, "These waves of catastrophe come about every few decades to every century or so. Each time the waves bring in a mass of nasty monsters who terrorize and attempt to destroy the kingdoms of this world. So in order to combat the threat, heroes are summoned from other worlds to stand against them. Now ordinarily only four heroes are summoned, but from time to time things get wonky and that's where the Armory hero comes in, have I got that right so far?"

"The basics at least, yes," replied Fitoria as she sat on the stone wall next to Darius, "The original Armory Hero's place of origin is still relatively unknown, or at least the information has been lost to time. What little I know is that he wasn't a cardinal hero when he arrived, but a sort of traveler with the ability to store items of all kinds with his magic. It was also during the time of his travels in this land that he met and became a party member of one of the cardinal heroes, likely the shield hero given that he had more use for the weapons that couldn't be wielded by him."

"So these four cardinal heroes don't have a choice on the weapons they use," surmised Darius with a hand to his chin, "And the shield hero would be the most limited in terms of combat weaponry. But I suppose if he's got skills like Captain America, then a shield would be more than enough."

"Captain who?" Questioned the Filolial queen with a tilt of her head, her cuteness defying the fact that she could turn into a twenty story tall bird.

"A character from a book," explained Darius dismissively, "Anyway, how did the Armory hero wind up with cardinal status?"

"It was during one of the worst waves at that time," continued Fitoria, "One of the opponents who appeared wielded jamming magic and used transformation jamming on the four hero's weapons, making them unable to use a number of their stronger abilities. But the Armory Hero's magic was different and he was able to switch out his weapons as needed, allowing him to deal enough damage to their opponent to end the jamming spell, but at the cost of nearly losing his life and most of his weapons. His efforts allowed the cardinal heroes the ability to access the full might of their weapons once more and they were able to defeat the boss of that wave. It turned out to be the final wave at that time, and in order to thank the Armory Hero, the four cardinal heroes combined their power to heal him. The unexpected result was his status as a cardinal hero and his bands becoming weapons to be worn by his successors upon the meeting of certain conditions."

"So he's more of an honorary cardinal hero than an actual one," said Darius as he looked at one of the bands, "Though I suppose better a happy accident than a well-intentioned screw up."

"You're wrong," said Fitoria, her tone surprising Darius a bit, "He earned his status as a hero and each of his predecessors has done the same. I witnessed one of the previous Armory Heroes myself, even if my memory of them is a bit vague. The world may not always need the fifth cardinal hero, but that does not make him any less of one than the other four cardinal heroes."

"Well, no pressure then," said Darius as he set the bowl down, finished with his meal for the moment. "Whatever the case, I don't suppose you know how I can make it home, do you?"

"The cardinal heroes typically return home one of two ways," explained Fitoria, "They either fight through all of the waves plaguing the land, or they die in battle."

"Somehow I knew you were going to say that," said Darius with a sigh as he stood up, "Alright then, I don't know much about this world but if it works the way I think it does then there's only one thing to do. Level up and level up fast while also figuring out what all it is I can do with these abilities of mine."

"I can help," said Fitoria as she also stood up, "Ordinarily you'd have been summoned to one of the kingdoms, but that doesn't appear to be the case at the moment. In order to insure you don't meet an early death, I shall oversee your training in the basics. But be warned, if you give me reason to believe that you're hopeless at this or aren't who you say you are, I won't hesitate." The queen Filolial let her threat hang in the air, the meaning quite clear.

"Uh, got it," said Darius as he gave a nervous thumbs up, "So where do we start?"

The Next Day

Fitoria had advised him that night was not the best time for monster hunting, given that Filolials usually sleep during that time and the more ferocious beasts would likely be out during that hour. So Darius agreed to wait until the next day, though that didn't stop him from browsing his menu and managing to find a couple of help screens that explained a bit more about his abilities and limitations. Sleeping arrangements were, interesting, given that Fitoria had offered to let him sleep in her feathers, but Darius had declined due to it being a bit too weird for his taste and the possibility of getting sat on by a giant bird would've made it impossible for him to sleep.

So he settled for sleeping on a type of giant nest the other filolials made for him, which turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. Now he was awake with the rising of the sun and standing in a clearing Fitoria had led him too. "As you seem to have figured out already," said Fitoria, "The heroes become stronger with each monster they vanquish. The means by which you dispatch the monster are irrelevant so long as you kill it."

"So what sort of nasties do we got out here," questioned Darius as he summoned a curved sword from his inventory.

"Balloons," replied Fitoria as she pointed out to some motion in the grass. The Armory hero swept the area with his eyes and noticed that red indicators marked their locations. 'A threat indicator,' he thought, 'that'll come in handy.' In the next moment, a blue ball with white eyes and teeth suddenly leapt out at him.

Darius reacted instinctively and swung, causing the miniature monster to pop upon contact with his weapon. "Wow, so that's why they're called balloons," he thought out loud as he slashed and killed another one. This time he noted EXP gains appeared when the monster died. "So it really is like a video game, just slash," another balloon popped, "get EXP and boom, instant growth. It's a cinch-OOOOWWW!"

While he'd been talking, Darius had made the unwise decision to turn his back for a moment, allowing a group of four to clamp onto some of his limbs and, to his embarrassment, his ass. Fitoria simply sighed at the hero in training struggling on the ground before destroying the balloons with a wave of her hand. "One piece of advice which has kept me alive for centuries, is to not let my guard down until I'm sure the threat is over," she lectured, "And even then I'm still cautious."

"Yeah, right," said Darius as he got back to his feet, rubbing the spots where he'd been bitten and noting that they didn't hurt near as bad as they should. 'I guess these bands help regulate pain too. But the best way to not feel pain is to not get hit in the first place.' "Won't happen again, so let's keep at it." The Filolial queen nodded as she stepped back and watched him continue his training, taking note of his level of competency with each weapon he selected. She wasn't sure why, but something about the whole situation made her feel, nostalgic.

A few hours later, and after a lunch consisting of more berries and some suspiciously good mushrooms, they were ready for the next part of training. "As you now know, the abilities of the Armory Hero are a bit different in comparison to the other cardinal heroes," Said Fitoria as they stood out in front of the ruins, "One of the main ways is that while the other heroes can take in materials and add them to change the properties of their weapons, you can actually replicate weapons. From the smallest of daggers to the largest of war hammers, all weapons are capable of being replicated to some degree for you. Now, take one of your weapons out and leave it, then try to replicate that same weapon."

Darius did so, deciding to pull out a morning star style mace which he tossed out between them before going over the ability options in his menu. He proceeded to select REPLICATE while staring at the mace, watching as the data scrolled by. In the next instant, glowing lings appeared in his hand, a design forming in the air until an almost exact duplicate of the mace came to being in his hand. "Well now, that's gonna come in handy," said Darius as he examined the weapon, "But the durability seems a bit off."

"The way it was explained to me," Said Fitoria, "Was that while the weapons are indeed replicas with identical properties, they are not as strong nor as durable as the original. So it would be unwise for you to try and duplicate a powerful weapon then attempt to match its attacks blow for blow against the original."

"I guess that's what you call balance," said Darius as he used replicate on a weapon that was still in his inventory. He was able to successfully duplicate the weapon, a spear this time, but as before it was less powerful than the original. Fitoria then moved him on to the next ability of his known as Phantom Army, which allowed him to fire the weapons from his inventory like projectiles or spawn them in different locations to skewer his opponent within a certain radius. But the training got to its most interesting, for Darius anyway, when they touched upon his final ability, Imitator.

"This ability is the one that requires the most practice," explained Fitoria, "It allows you to use any weapon or hand to hand attack you've seen so long as you're within a certain visual range. You won't be able to imitate magical attacks unless they're attached to the weapon or replica you're using."

"Is it a onetime deal or can I store the attacks for later?" Questioned Darius as he looked for the ability on his menu. Once he selected it, a white mask appeared on his face with slanted eye-holes.

"It will be easier to show you," said Fitoria as she did a T-pose with her palms facing outward, "Try and follow my movements, High Quick." She seemed to disappear then as Darius moved his eyes in an attempt to follow her. But the speed was overwhelming, so much so that after images were left in her wake before she suddenly appeared in front of him with her right hand in a claw-like gesture aimed at his face.

"Whoa shit!" Darius swore as he backed up and nearly tripped over his own feet, "How in the world did you do that?"

"It is one of my attacks," explained Fitoria, "I have several, but only a few of them are physical attacks in this form. Later, if I think you're able to handle it, I'll show you a few in my Filolial form that you should be able to copy."

"Why don't we just stick to human attacks for the time being," requested Darius as he read the stats about the attack he'd just witnessed. Then, taking a running stance, he engaged his ability. "High Quick!" He shot forward then at a speed he didn't think was possible as he moved from one end of the field to the other in seconds, only to fall flat on his face as he tripped over his feet trying to turn. 'Note to self, no sharp turns moving at high speed,' Darius thought with a groan.

Fitoria sighed at the failed execution of the attack as she realized something. "I just now remembered, take it slow when using the styles of those who are a much higher level than you. Your body won't be able to handle the more strenuous attacks at first and it will tire you out far more quickly."

"Gee, thanks for the heads up," replied Darius as he dusted himself off, "Any other words of advice to help me avoid running off a cliff or plowing into a tree on accident?"

"Not that I recall this second," replied Fitoria, "But Filolials don't have the sharpest of memories, so I'll let you know if I do remember something. Now then, we're wasting time and you need to get as strong as possible before the next wave arrives."

"Hai, Fitoria sensei," said Darius as he attempted the attack again. The training took up the rest of the day, and by the end of it, the Armory hero was capable of performing a few of his self-appointed teacher's moves as well as aim his weapon attacks a bit better. He also sparred with Fitoria in order to learn how to use attacks on the fly. It was an exhausting start to what would be an exhausting week.

One Week Later

'I never thought I could get used to eating so many plants, and unknown scraps of meat,' mused Darius as he aimed and fired another spear from his inventory into the tall grass. He was rewarded with the sound of a pop as he watched his EXP go up again. Another group of three attempted to charge him, only to be skewered by swords suddenly jabbing them from midair before retreating back into their miniature portals. He finished it off by firing another barrage of weapons into the grass, destroying the enemies that were left. "Whew, another day's work taken care of," he said as he wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead.

"Indeed," said Fitoria, "I think you might be ready to take the next step." The Filolial queen beckoned Darius to follow her as she led him to a different part of the ruins, one which had another sealed door.

"So how do you plan on smacking me around today?" Questioned the Cardinal Hero, "You don't have a huge golem behind that door, do you?"

"I have a gift for you," replied Fitoria as she held her hand up, dispelling the winged seal and causing the door to slide open, "It's something you might find quite useful in your future travels." She proceeded to lead him down a short passageway into a chamber similar to the one Darius had appeared in where a type of large, chained up chest with intricate silver designs stood at the opposite wall.

"That's not a booby-trapped monster chest is it?" the Armory hero couldn't help but ask.

"It is protected by my magic and that of the previous hero," stated Fitoria as she held up her hand, extinguishing a number of the silver lines on it, "I remember he told me to give this to his successor should he appear again within my lifetime. Now, your hand please." Darius did as she asked and held out his hand, which Fitoria grabbed and guided onto the chest. Immediately, the jewel on his band started glowing, causing the chains on the chest to suddenly come to life and retreat into its keyhole.

The lid opened of its own accord then to reveal a rather long, wrapped up chain with a black spike at one end and a gnarled looking, iron clawed hand at the other. "Well this is certainly something else now isn't it-HELLO!" The moment he touched the chain, it leapt up and dove into the pearl jewel on his band. In less than a minute the entire length of the chain was consumed by the jewel as a notification flashed in his mystical HUD. 'Unlocked Phantom Chain ability set.'

'Alright, well let's see what this is supposed to do then,' he thought as he selected one of the commands. A portal opened on the floor as the chain shot out with the clawed hand floating in front of him. "That is certainly different," said Darius as he held out his hand. The chain responded by grabbing hold and shaking his hand before returning to its original position, "Oh ho no way." Darius then proceeded to conjure a second chain, this one also with a clawed hand at the end.

"The chain has been enhanced with mystical properties," explained Fitoria, "It is capable of extending to several times its length and duplicating its ends, allowing you to attack and restrain your targets from multiple angles. It also strengthens with your level, meaning it will grow stronger as you grow stronger, but remember to watch your mag-." She stopped as she noticed her explanation was not currently being heard due to Darius starting a spirited game of rock-paper-scissors with the floating chains. The Filolial queen simply sighed as the Armory Hero managed to lose the latest game before starting up again.

'He still doesn't grasp the severity of the situation,' she thought before a memory flashed through her mind. 'Come on, we're in a whole other world! There's no reason we can't have at least a little fun here and there!' For some reason, this made a little tear fall from her eye. A blue Filolial entered the chamber then and whispered some news to her. "So it's happened then," she thought aloud before turning to the hero-in-training, "Darius, it's time to commence training with the chains. Then…there's something we need to discuss."

"Right, funs over for now boys," said Darius as the hands retreated back into the portals on the floor. They exited the chamber and proceeded to train at the usual spot, with a focus on conjuring the chains in different formations for attack and defense this time around. Though as before, the fifth cardinal hero spent a good bit of time getting knocked around by Fitoria's speed and surprisingly high strength as she proceeded to flip him, one-handed, over her shoulder for the umpteenth time.

"Ya know," said Darius as he picked himself up off the ground, "As strong as you are why aren't you protecting the world from the evil monsters?"

"I am protecting the world," replied Fitoria, "But I am only doing so as a favor to the previous Shield and Armory heroes. Truthfully, I have little concern for what happens to humanity."

"I, uh, suppose that makes sense," said Darius as he rubbed his head, "Guess your first priority would be your own kind, given that you're the queen and all. But if you're willing to do a favor for the previous heroes, what were they like?"

"I think it'd be best if we discussed this over dinner," said Fitoria as she indicated a wooden table and benches that had been set up by the other Filolials while Darius wasn't looking. It was also covered with food that wasn't just random samples of meat and wild berries. "I am starting to feel a bit hungry and it seems a good time to conclude training for the day."

"What's the occasion for getting all of this together," said Darius as he examined one of the rolls, "Come to think of it, how did you get this all together?"

"Melromarc royalty came passing through recently," explained Fitoria as they sat down, "Her highness, the queen, has a fondness for Filolials and tends to toss us surprisingly extravagant food as gifts."

"Well that answers my second question," said Darius, "But what about the occasion?"

Fitoria didn't answer at first, giving him a potentially sad look as she finally spoke. "I've received news. It seems the other four cardinal heroes have been summoned in the capital of Melromarc."

"Well that's good news," said Darius as he took a bite of some of the specially prepared meat, "It means all we gotta do now is head over there and let 'em know they've got help."

"It's not as simple as that," said Fitoria, stopping his premature celebration before it even began, "Many things have changed in recent years in the kingdom, no, it's more accurate to say the situation has gotten worse."

"What are we defining as 'worse' in this scenario," questioned Darius, his full attention now on the Filolial queen.

"Because there are four heroes, it means four differing viewpoints which do not always coincide," explained Fitoria, "In the past, this has often taken the form of one or more of the heroes disagreeing with the practices of some of the other countries. Most notable to me, is that of the Shield hero and his stance against the mistreatment of demi-humans."

"As in half-human/half-animal people?" Darius guessed, using what knowledge he had of fantasy anime to try and fill in the gaps.

"Yes," affirmed Fitoria, "the Shield hero was a noble person in my time and the times before. He cared about all races within this world and that often put him at odds with other countries who discriminate against them. Recently, however, a cult of sorts has emerged in Melromarc which worships only the three heroes and denounces the Shield hero as a type of demon. When you get to the kingdom, do not believe anything anyone says about him being evil, for it is all lies. Instead, trust your own judgement and your own measure of people to tell you whether or not he is evil."

She stopped talking for a moment then as Darius saw a few tears fall from her eyes. "You said when I get to the kingdom," noted the Armory Hero, "Aren't you coming along too?"

"I," she said after a moment, "Cannot. I must tend to my own people and prepare my own warriors for battle against the waves. You'll be setting out tomorrow, without me." Darius wasn't sure what to say to that as he ate the rest of his meal in silence. He'd figured at some point she wouldn't be able to hold his hand anymore, but somehow it still seemed, too soon for him to be saying good bye to the winged girl with silver hair.

After another minute or so of silence, Darius decided to say the first thing which came to mind. "So what was he like?"

"What was who like," questioned Fitoria, seeming to perk up for a moment.

"The last Armory Hero," Darius clarified, "was he serious, was he nice, did he have personal space issues, was he afraid of interacting with people?"

"He liked to laugh," stated the Filolial queen with the slightest hint of what might have been a smile, "in his own words, he described himself as a 'wise ass,' someone who was clever when it came to making light of things, but not so smart when it came to other matters. Even after the toughest battles, he'd still try and say something he thought was clever and we'd laugh in spite of how much it made us cringe to hear it. To so many, he probably appeared to be somewhat idiotic. But the Shield hero and I saw him as a kind and respectful person who took his responsibility as a hero to heart. My fondest memory of him was when I got sick one day and he stayed behind to take care of me, trying to make me laugh the whole time while he was at it."

"Sounds like quite the hero," said Darius as he crossed his arms in thought, "I honestly can't say if I can really live up to any of that. But after all the help you've given me, I at least owe it to ya to give it my best. Especially now that the rest of the heroes are here too. So starting tomorrow, Darius the Armory Hero is setting off into a brave new worl-YAAAAAAAWN." Unfortunately for him, his inspiring moment was ruined by a very inconveniently timed yawn. "Jeez, that speech must've been more boring than I thought, but I guess even aspiring heroes need their sleep."

Darius stood up and made to leave, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. "Please," said Fitoria, "Just for tonight, could I?" He wanted to say no, but even if she wasn't the Filolial queen, something in her eyes told him she wanted this desperately. No, she needed this. So that night, the Armory hero slept on his leaf and stick made bed, with the queen nestled under his arm.

"You told me all about how Filolial queens are born," said Darius as he stared up at the stars, "Tell me, was it the Shield Hero or the Armory Hero that raised you?"

"I honestly don't remember very clearly," replied Fitoria as she buried her head deeper into his side, "After so long, I'm lucky to even recall their faces some days. But I'll never forget how they made me feel. It was one of the happiest times of my life adventuring with them and I….I miss them both so much." Darius rubbed her head as the girl let out her emotions, staining his shirt with her tears. In that moment, it wasn't a powerful queen or a centuries old warrior lying next to him, but a girl who missed her nearest and dearest friends.

The Next Day

"Okay, I'm all set," said Darius as he finished looking through his inventory. He'd been pleasantly surprised to learn that his inventory ability not only extended to weapons, but a certain amount of supplies as well, including food and a few gifts from the queen herself.

"Then I shall get you as close to the capital as I can," said Fitoria as she held out her hand. The ground beneath their feet began to glow then as the surrounding area disappeared in a flash of light. It was quickly replaced with that of a forest road surrounded by trees on both sides.

"Teleportation, now that is useful," noted the Armory hero as he took in his surroundings before turning back to Fitoria. "So how far is Melromarc from here?"

"It is still several day's travel," explained Fitoria, "I have not ventured towards that area recently, so while I could bring you closer, you still need some more time to build up your strength and to take in the state of the world."

"Well I suppose it would've been too easy for me to just pop up at the front door," said Darius, "So where do I go from here?"

"Down this roadway," replied Fitoria as she pointed to her left, "It will take you to a village with a kind nobleman who may be willing to provide you with transportation. Remember, should you desperately require currency there are many who trade it for materials gathered from monsters."

"Sounds reasonable," said Darius, "Now I'd best get going. You said the coming wave could strike by the end of next month which means the sooner I make contact with the other heroes the better."

"Y-yes," stammered Fitoria before suddenly hugging his waist, "Please, be safe."

"I'll do what I can," said Darius as he patted her head one last time, "You take care of yourself and your people."

"I will," said Fitoria as she released the Armory hero and watched as his journey began. She waited until he'd long faded from her vision before finally teleporting away. It was soon after this, that the forces of the world would bring Darius to his next fated encounter.

Some Time Later

He'd been walking for at least a half an hour. Well, half an hour if one didn't include the little scuffle he'd had with some kind of rabid porcupine monster. But at last he came to the top of a hill where he spied a fair-sized town with a mansion on one end and another mansion on the top of a mountainous looking rise. 'Well that's the town,' he thought, 'Now I just need to figure out which of those mansions has the nobleman I'm looking for.'

As he made to continue down the hill, a rather distressing sound reached his ears. The sound of fighting, including the screams of soldiers and the snarling of monsters. Darius picked up his pace and ran down the hill. A carriage with a damaged wheel soon came into his view as he broke into a full on sprint upon taking in the situation. A group of six guards in silver armor were attempting to hold off a pack of nasty looking wolves who were being led by a larger, two-headed wolf.

'Here goes everything!' Thought Darius as he quickly selected and fired a small number of spears and swords while continuing forward. Three of the wolves were downed in the volley while the two-headed wolf was wounded by a spear. "Keep the other wolves off the carriage, I'll take the big one!" He ordered. The guards seemed to hesitate for a moment, not really grasping his intentions until the hero jumped in front of the nearest one and blocked the dual-headed wolves' jaws with a large ax.

Another couple of wolves attempted to pounce on his back, only to be skewered by two of the guards who managed to get their act together before retreating back with the rest of their comrades. Darius used that moment to free his ax from the monster's grip and jump back before leaping forward and decapitating one of the heads. The remaining wolf howled in agony before being quickly silenced by a small collection of spears from above. "Whew, not bad for my first real fight," he thought aloud as he made the spears retreat back into their portals.

Darius then moved to collect the weapons he'd used as projectiles before he noticed all of the guards staring at him. "Oh don't mind me, just helping out," he said with a wave before sending some more of his weapons back into his inventory.

"What a splendid display," said a happy, or rather smug sounding voice as a large man with blond hair and a small mustache stepped out. He was dressed in a type of fancy blue outfit with an ornate shirt and cape. His pants were held up by a fancy belt from which hung a saber on one side and a whip on the other. "Do tell, what sort of magic was that?"

"Oh this," said Darius as he made another weapon disappear into his inventory, "I guess you could say it's like-." The Armory hero paused for moment as he noted the expression on the man's face. It wasn't just smug, it seemed almost arrogant in a way. Whatever it was, it gave Darius a bad feeling which is why he changed his explanation at the last second. "A type of conjuration magic, more like summoning really."

"And does our conjurer have a name," questioned the man as he signaled his guards to stand down.

"Darius Saxon," he replied, "I'm an adventurer of sorts. I was just passing by when I noticed your carriage getting attacked."

"Well I certainly do thank you for your assistance adventurer," said the man, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Idol Rabier, and I just so happen to be a noble of the town we're approaching."

"A noble eh," said Darius, "Do you happen to have a wagon or two heading for Melromarc's capital?"

"In due time I might," replied Idol as he rubbed his hands together, "Why don't you accompany us to my mansion for the time being. Traveling is rough after all and if one isn't properly prepared they'll be dead long before reaching their destination, especially going as far as that."

"Well I suppose I do need a few essentials," said Darius as he scratched his cheek a little. He truthfully didn't want go with this guy. But Fitoria had mentioned a noble, so this prick might be his best shot in getting to where he needed to go.

"Oh most excellent," said Rabier with a somewhat forced smile, "I'm certain we'll be able to come to a most satisfactory arrangement." And there was an arrangement in the end, but it didn't turn out like either of them expected.

**Whew, world building and expo-dumping are something else. But at last it is here for your enjoyment, the second chapter of my Rising of the Shield Hero fan fiction. For those wondering, yes Darius will meet up with the other heroes in the next few chapters and more of his abilities and limitations will be explained as the story progresses. But enough technical stuff, I hope you all had fun with this chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Darius uncovers hidden monsters within the kingdom. 'Til then.**


	3. Hidden Horrors and Agendas

**Hidden Horrors and Agendas**

Mansion of Idol Rabier

As expected of a nobleman, at least one that was clearly as self-loving as Rabier, the mansion Darius found himself in was more than a little fancy. It sat atop a rocky hill which used the natural stone wall as protection, keeping the five floor mansion safe from outside attack. The building itself was a typical U-shape design with a strange obelisk sitting in the middle of the courtyard. As for the inside, it was decorated much as the cardinal hero had expected with numerous furnishings, green carpeting, ornate walls and ceilings with a large staircase in the main entrance, and a fancy table that was likely longer than it needed to be.

"So tell me," said Rabier as he drank a glass of likely very pricey red wine, "How did one such as yourself acquire those abilities? I've heard and seen many forms of magic in my time but never have I seen someone call upon ghostly weapons from thin air."

"Learned it from some old ruins my master brought me too," explained Darius, trying to sound convincing while also trying not to cringe at the man's overly friendly façade. He wasn't the greatest at reading people but something about this nobleman just screamed danger. "And before you ask, I haven't the slightest idea how to find them again. Once I got the basics down she sent me here with her own magic."

"Yes you did mention being unfamiliar with the kingdom of Melromarc," said Rabier after taking a hearty bite of what appeared to be some kind of steak, "Tell me, where do you hail from?"

"I doubt you've heard of it," said Darius as he took a bite of his own food. His Stat screen allowed him to gauge that the food wasn't poisoned, but he still didn't have much of an appetite being in the same room as Rabier. "It's a land on the other side of the sea, one that would take a lot of time to reach traveling normally."

"How fascinating," said the nobleman as he stroked part of his mustache? 'Cliché much,' thought Darius. "And what sort of errand would require you traveling all the way to Melromarc's capital?" The Armory Hero greatly considered lying about it completely, given that he wanted to be out of there as soon as possible. But at the same time the truth itself conveyed a sense of urgency which anyone would, hopefully, understand. So in the end, he went with the truth, or at least a bit of it.

"My master has tasked me with finding the four cardinal heroes," Darius explained, "They were summoned in Melromarc's capital not long ago."

"Really, the cardinal heroes are in the land of Melromarc," said Rabier as he wiped his mouth with a fancy napkin, "That is an interesting turn of events. But I do wonder why they bothered summoning all four of them."

"That is how it works, isn't it?" Questioned Darius, "four cardinal weapons for four cardinal heroes. Doesn't it take all of them to fight off the threat of the waves of catastrophe?"

"If you can really consider a shield a weapon," scoffed Rabier, "honestly I wonder what those summoners are doing some days. I know the magic is ancient but is it really so hard to only summon three? The sword, bow, and spear heroes should be all we ever need to fend off the waves."

"If that were true then there would only be three cardinal weapons, but since there's a fourth that must mean the shield has some use," said Darius, deciding it best to omit the fact that there were actually five for the moment. Fitoria had warned him ahead of time that most people in this day and age had never heard of the Armory Hero.

"The shield is nothing more than a blight on this land," said Rabier, "He likely only exists because some conniving demi-humans managed to tamper with the ritual. Why else would each incarnation of the shield hero defend them otherwise?"

"Are you saying the other heroes have never defended the demi-humans?" Questioned Darius, "Come to think of it, are y'all at war with demi-humans at the moment?"

"The other heroes stood up and defended proper people," said Rabier with a smile that turned into a sneer, "Demi-humans may look more like people than regular animals but they are still just that, animals. Their only real use in this world is as slaves and beasts of burden. But the Shield Hero wishes to upset that natural order by insisting that we are all equal, that animals are as good as humans! It can only mean that there isn't a human behind that shield but a demon who plots against us all!"

"So I see," said Darius with an impassive face while hiding his right hand under the table. Each word had managed to infuriate him more and more, causing him to tighten his grip on the fork he'd been eating with. Glancing down, he saw that it resembled nothing more than a bent up piece of metal now. He quickly hid it in his inventory before anyone noticed. "Well Shield Hero or not, I still need to reach the cardinal heroes before the waves hit."

"It is true the heroes all tend to form their own parties," said Rabier, "And someone with the ability to summon any weapon they want would be more than beneficial to any one of the heroes. But you know, there is a way you could help all of them in one single act."

"And what would that be," asked Darius, mostly out of curiosity, "I haven't even met them yet, so I'm not sure what kind of help they even need at the moment."

"Why you could eliminate Melromarc's hidden enemy before he has a chance to grow in strength," said Rabier with a smirk that didn't even bother to hide his sadistic intent. "You see while it is true that he doesn't have a proper weapon, the Shield Hero's defense is said to be nigh impregnable against all forms of ordinary attacks. But I don't think even he can stop something he can't see coming."

"Just hold up there," said Darius as he crossed his arms, "Are you telling me to kill the Shield Hero. Kill a person I've never even met or have reason to kill?"

"Have you not been listening," said Rabier, "He is not a man but a devil wielding a shield! He will bring about calamity if left unchecked, that is why the Three Heroes Church opposes his presence here!" Rabier pulled out a silver symbol with spear, bow, and sword jutting out to form a type of arrow with a red jewel in the center. "I can supply you with transportation, supplies, money, anything you could possibly need to locate the devil of the Shield. With your ability to summon weapons out of thin air, you could gain his trust and strike him when he is most vulnerable, earning you rewards and praise from the entirety of Melromarc! The king himself would applaud you for ridding our land of that monster!"

"The king has it out for the Shield Hero?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow.

"If the rumors are to be believed," replied Rabier, "His support of Melromarc's main religion, the Three Heroes Chruch, certainly lends a lot of credibility to it."

"Ain't that something," said Darius as he went over his options in his head. On the one hand, he could outright refuse the ludicrous request he'd just been given and try to walk out right now. But a quick glance at the guards at the door reminded him that the mansion had at least twenty to thirty soldiers he might not be able to fight through if he had this Rabier douche pegged right. He could pretend to go along with the whole scheme and then just not do the deed, which could work assuming he convinced Rabier he was trustworthy enough to not send anyone along.

Problem was, if he did send someone along with him then Darius would need to find a way to get rid of them before they reached the capital. He personally didn't want to kill anyone and even if he did, how long until Rabier decided to send someone else or even come down himself to check on his progress. It was a whole mess of problems. "So what do you say," said Rabier, his voice breaking Darius out of his thoughts, "Are you willing to take this chance to become a hero of the kingdom, the man who slew the devil of the shield?"

"I," the Armory Hero thought quickly, "I'll need a day or two to think it over." Rabier was about to protest that there was nothing to think about but was quickly cut off. "If the Shield Hero is as dangerous as you say, it may take more than a simple dagger in his back to finish him off. If I'm going to take on a job like this, I'll need to insure as many factors are in my favor as possible. You're not wrong in saying this is a once in a lifetime chance, but rewards won't mean much if I die in the process."

"You do make an excellent point," said Rabier, that same irritating smirk reappearing on his face, "monsters and demons are crafty, so it only makes sense you'd want to be prepared beforehand. So how about this, while you're deciding feel free to use one of my guest rooms and my guards will be on standby outside your room should you need anything."

'In other words I'm not going anywhere until I say yes,' thought Darius as he stood up. "You're too kind," he said, "Now it seems to be getting late and I'm a bit tired from all the walking and fighting. So if you've got nothing else for me this evening, I'll be turning in."

"Of course, of course," said Rabier as he signaled his guards, "Show him to one of the guest rooms we've prepared if you would." The guards nodded before Darius followed them out of the dining room and up another flight of stairs. His room turned out to be in one of the mansion's back corners on the top most floor. It wasn't the fanciest room out of the ones he'd seen but it had a comfortable looking bed, a decorated wardrobe, and a polished desk with a chair. Some night clothes had also been laid out on the bed for him.

"We'll be standing by out here should you require anything sir," said one of the guards.

"Sounds good," said Darius, "But what do I do when it's time for you guys to go to sleep?"

"Worry not," said the guard, "We rotate regularly to insure the mansion is guarded at all times. Pearson will be showing up in a couple hours to take over for me, so if you need anything then just talk to him."

"Always good to see security working efficiently," said Darius, "Happy guarding then and good night." He closed the door before heading right over to the one thing he'd hoped his room would have, a window. At first he wondered why it was unlocked until he opened it and looked down. 'Yep, that's a steep drop down to solid stone ground,' he thought, 'no wonder they didn't bother barring the windows and there isn't enough material in here to make a long enough rope. A fall from this height would be almost certain death and even if someone did survive they'd likely be too injured to run.'

It further drove home the point that despite his friendly act, Rabier would not be taking no for an answer. All in all, he was not in an ideal situation and yet, Darius still felt a small smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth. 'How unfortunate for you Mr. Nobleman,' he thought, 'If I'd been just an ordinary adventurer, this might've worked. But you're not dealing with an adventurer.' Darius took a quick look around the outside of the window until he got a view of the corner.

'That spot looks like it'll be out of view of the other windows,' he observed, 'all I need to do is convince them I'm sleeping now.' The Armory Hero went back to the bed then, pretending to change out of his street clothes while also setting up the bed to make it look like someone was sleeping in it. 'I really need to get some adventuring duds, especially now that I don't have any Filolial help to wash my regular clothes.' But as he always told himself, one problem at a time, and now that he was done with basic preparations, he crept back over to the window and looked out to make sure there were no guards below.

"Alright, hero time," he said as he held out his hand towards the corner of the mansion, "Phantom chain claw." A small white portal opened in response as a familiar iron hand on a chain reached out several feet and wrapped around his outstretched arm. Darius then proceeded to climb up on the windowsill and, after taking a few quick breaths and reminding himself not to look down, hopped out of the window. For a few seconds, he was swinging through the air like a hero from all the old medieval stories, before twisting around and hitting the wall.

"Oooooow," Darius cringed in pain as he dangled from the chain, once again happy that his pain was a bit regulated. 'That wasn't so much Robin Hood Prince of Thieves as it was Men in Tights,' he thought as he finally stopped swinging and began slowly lowering himself. True to its description, the chain was able to reach quite a length, allowing the cardinal hero to rappel nearly all the way down before he dropped to the ground. The chain quickly retreated back into the portal from whence it came as its master proceeded to sneak around the side of the mansion with the fewest guards.

'I will say this,' Darius thought as he glanced around a corner, 'One of the few upsides of coming from a police state is you get kinda good at sneaking around.' He waited another few moments for a patrol to pass before bolting beneath a stone arch and into the shadows of another corner. He hugged the wall as he crept along, his eyes open for any sign of movement. But as he was about to turn the corner near the gate, another patrol came around the corner.

Darius instinctively backed up and turned to head in the opposite direction. As luck would have it he spotted a stairway that led underground and took it without hesitation, going down several steps until he was sure no one could spot him and listened. The sound of footsteps and a bit of banter reached his ears, but nothing to indicate anyone had seen him. The Armory Hero took a calming breath as soon as the patrol passed and began to make his way back up, until a noise caught his attention.

The surprised American whirled around and summoned a mace to his hands as he strained his ears. The sound came again and this time he realized what it was, a cough at the bottom of the stairs. Against his better judgement, Darius proceeded further down the rectangular opening in the ground with his weapon at the ready until he reached the bottom. It was dimly lit, but it was more than enough for him to clearly make out what kind of place it was. A horrid, foul-smelling medieval prison.

But it wasn't the state of the cells or even the smell that nearly made Darius puke. It was what he saw when he looked in the cells. "W-who's there," said a timid, frightened voice as a small girl with raccoon ears and a tail sat up. Darius didn't answer at first as he glanced at the other cells, discovering the same story in each cell. 'I knew he probably had a screw loose,' thought the Armory Hero as he put a hand to his mouth, collapsing to one knee as felt his dinner coming back up, 'But this bastard, is keeping and torturing children down here!'

His eyes roamed to the back of the cage then as he spotted another child, a girl with dirty blond hair, weasel ears and a tail. She wasn't just cut and bruised but appeared to be sick as well. "What d-do you want," asked the raccoon girl, finally reminding Darius that he hadn't even said a word.

"What's," He had to clean some of the bile out of his throat, "What's wrong with your friend back there?"

"I'm not sure," said the raccoon girl, "She's just, b-been coughing and running a fever."

"I see," said Darius as he went through his inventory and selected a potion. 'Sorry Fitoria, I know you said to save this for emergencies but I can't very well let an innocent child suffer.' "Give her this, it should at least help." The raccoon girl was clearly reluctant at first, likely weary of humans in general. But eventually, she extended her shaking hands and accepted the healing potion before taking it back to her friend.

The Armory Hero waited silently as she managed to get her friend to slowly drink the concoction, having to stop once or twice when she started coughing. Once she was finished, the raccoon girl made her way back to the cell door. "T-thank you sir," she said as she handed him the empty bottle, "Rifana's been looking terrible for the last couple of days."

"Rifana huh," said Darius, "That's a pretty name. What's your name little one?"

"R-Raphtalia," replied the raccoon girl in a weak voice, as if she hadn't been asked her name in some time.

"Why are you all down here?" Questioned Darius, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

"Our homes were destroyed in the last wave," explained Raphtalia, "T-then that n-nobleman killed all the a-adults and brought us here. H-he, he's been beating and w-whipping us whenever he feels like it." The little one couldn't hardly take it anymore and broke down in tears. Darius responded instinctively and put a hand on her head, causing the girl to flinch at first.

"It's okay, just let it out," said Darius as he lightly rubbed Raphtalia's head, "You're all very strong, to have survived up to this point."

"C-can I ask who you are," questioned the raccoon girl between sniffles.

"My name is Darius, Darius Saxon," he replied, "I'm not with the nobleman who brought you here."

"Are you h-here to h-help us?" Questioned Raphtalia with a pleading look in her eyes.

"I," Darius thought carefully before answering, "I might be able to help all of you, but not right away. I could sneak past all these guards by myself but not with five or so kids tailing behind me, and I can't fight them all while protecting you either. I hate more than anything to say this, but you'll have to hold on for at least one more day, possibly two."

"But you will help us, w-won't you?" Raphtalia more pleaded than asked.

"I was called here to be a hero," said Darius, "And that's exactly what I plan to do. Just hold on and I promise I'll come up with something." The raccoon girl nodded, some hope actually coming to her eyes as the Armory Hero turned and headed back up the stairs. One plan after another raced through his mind as he retraced his steps back to his assigned room, avoiding the guards along the way as before.

He used his chains to pull himself back up to the window, though he had to make up an excuse about falling out of bed when one of the guards knocked on the door after hearing him hit the floor. He hardly slept afterwards as his mind continued to race for some way, anyway to escape the mansion with the children. Eventually it dawned on him. Whatever the outcome tomorrow, someone was going to die.

The Next Morning

'If I didn't respect actors before I sure do now,' thought the Armory Hero as he found himself yet again in Idol Rabier's dining room, eating a collection of pastries, meats, and eggs for breakfast. 'It's taking everything I have not to dismember this piece of shit right now.' It was only thanks to the fact that he knew he would get what was coming to him later that Darius was able to restrain himself.

"So tell me Mr. Saxon," said Rabier after swallowing a rather large piece of meat, "Have you come to a decision on my offer?"

"I have," said Darius as he laced his fingers in front of him, "As you said yesterday he isn't too strong at the moment, so I'll take you up on your offer. The Shield Hero's days are numbered from this moment onward."

"Oh splendid, absolutely splendid," said the nobleman with a clap of his hands, "And I'm of course ready to provide you with anything you might require for the deed."

"Well then we'd best get started," said Darius with his best smirk, "I've got quite a list and a good bit of planning and examination to do. We are trying to kill a demon after all, even if he's just gotten here. Oh, and I'll need to be paid a small sum upfront, travel expenses and the like."

"I wouldn't expect anything less, but first, a toast," said Rabier as he held up his glass of wine, "To the death of the devil of the shield."

"To the ridding of a monster from this world," added Darius as he drank from his own, which was very watered down. This time his smirk was real as his plan was set into motion. It was going to be a long day, and for some, their last.

Later That Day

The cardinal hero wasted no time after breakfast as he had Rabier show him the mansion's armory where the guards stored their weapons when they weren't on duty. He'd decided to explain some of the basics of his abilities in order to stress the importance that he would need all of the weapons he could get. It was also how he convinced the nobleman to allow him to examine all of the guard's weapons in private during their shift changes, explaining that he needed the highest quality of weapons he could get for himself and for the ones who would be accompanying him. Whenever Rabier would have any doubts about Darius's methods, the Armory Hero would simply demonstrate another form of his abilities or come up with an excuse about limitations until the nobleman was assured that everything was in order.

"I do find it quite amazing really," said Rabier after a while as he stood outside of the armory, "The waves are supposed to bring catastrophe upon us all, yet good fortune has fallen on me and the people of Melromarc. What other force but fate could bring us one capable of destroying the devil of the Shield so soon. Perhaps the world has finally come up with a way to reject him for good."

"Who knows," said Darius as he stepped out of the armory with a set of battle gear Rabier had picked out specifically for him. It consisted of a grey, flexible chest piece with basic shoulder pads, lightly armored gauntlets, long pants with dark brown boots, shin guards and a belt with a few pouches and a lightly decorated sword hanging from it. "I've never really been one to try and guess which direction fate's trying to go. But everyone else seems to think I'd make a decent demon slayer, so why not?"

"Are you certain you want to keep those strange articles of clothing you had on," questioned the nobleman, "They're not very practical for the mission you'll be undertaking and it's unlikely you'll be switching back to them anytime soon."

"Call me sentimental," said Darius as he stored his old clothes with his inventory ability, "They're kinda the only thing I got to remind me of home."

"As you wish," said Rabier, "Now then, you said you'd be needing to learn a couple of skills before departing?"

"Yep," replied Darius, "I've never really driven a wagon myself before and even with a few people going along with me, I can't have them doing all the work. After that I'll need to see the skills of your best guards in order to pick who's coming along. Truthfully I should only be traveling with one other person, but given the length of the journey and the dangers we could face, a four to five person group is likely the better option."

"I must admit I was surprised when you turned down a large armed escort," said Rabier, "But your reasoning seemed more than sound. A lone adventurer happening to catch a ride with a few guards transporting some supplies, it's a believable story."

"Ain't it," said Darius with a forced smile. He'd truthfully bullshitted most of his logic, pulling the majority of it from video games and what little he knew of D&D. But no one had objected so far, likely assuming he knew exactly what he was talking about given that he was an 'adventurer.' "Anyway we're running out of daylight so we'd best get moving." The nobleman was more than happy to oblige as he introduced him to his best carriage driver.

The rest of the day was split between Darius practicing driving, and nearly crashing, a basic wagon and watching a dozen of Rabier's best guards show their skills with varying weapons. By the time they were done, the sun had set and they'd headed back inside. The plan now was to talk final preparations but, little did anyone else know, Darius's were already complete.

"Ah there you are," said Rabier as the cardinal hero entered his office, "dinner should be ready shortly but don't feel the need to wait on me. I need to indulge in a little private matter for a bit."

"I've already eaten actually," said Darius as he closed the door behind him and discreetly locked it, "Figured I'd best now before I lose my appetite."

"Lose your appetite," repeated the nobleman with a raised eyebrow, "is something the matter Mr. Saxon?"

"I'll be leaving tonight," explained Darius, "I've already had the wagon prepped and I've selected who's going along with me. All I need to do now is get a Filolial hooked up."

"Your urgency in wanting to resolve this issue is certainly admirable," said Rabier, "But leaving at this time of night isn't really wise. I'm certain the guards you've selected will say the same thing."

"I didn't say I'd be leaving with any of your guards," said Darius as he narrowed his eyes and finally let the friendly tone in his voice drop, "I'll be leaving with the children you've got imprisoned in those cells beneath the mansion."

"H-how do you know about that," said Rabier as his eyes widened in surprise.

"I got nosy trying to make my way out last night," said Darius, "truth is I was warned ahead of time about your little bullshit church, but even if I hadn't been there's no freakin' way I'd help someone as sketchy as you, especially when it came to harming any of the cardinal heroes. That's why I've just been gathering what I need to get me and those kids out of this madhouse. Of course, all of it was only possible because of you, so thanks for being an overly opportunistic bastard."

"So this whole time you've been, making a fool of me!" Seethed Rabier as he drew the sword at his hip, "I'll make you pay! All allies of the Shield shall die!" The nobleman came at him with a diagonal cut, intending to wound him instead of outright killing him. But the blade never reached his body as Darius caught it between his pointer and middle finger.

"Hate to say it," chided the college student, "But you won't make it far with a replica like this." He twisted his fingers then, causing Rabier's eyes to widen as the sword disappeared. Darius followed up with a nasty left jab to the nobleman's face, knocking him over onto the floor. 'Fitoria did mention I'd get stronger physically when leveling up, but damn this is something else,' he thought as he glanced at his fist for a moment before opening a portal and pulling out a saber. "This is your sword."

"Just," Rabier sneered as he struggled to his feet, holding his now likely broken nose, "Just who do you think you are?!"

"Who," repeated Darius as he used his left hand to summon another one of Fitoria's gifts, a short white cape that went across the back of his neck and had two pieces of cloth hanging from each shoulder, "I'm the fifth and the forgotten of the cardinal heroes, the Armory Hero!"

**And the tables have turned as the new hero confronts his first villain! Hello everyone and happy 4th of July, which we're celebrating early here with a chapter out a day earlier than normal! Oh and just to clear up a few questions you all might have about Darius's powers: 1). His 'Imitator' ability is able to copy hand to hand attacks along with weapon attacks which include spells that enhance the body such as 'High Quick' and the like. 2). He can make more than one replica of a weapon, we'll touch more on this in the next chapter. 3). The power of his replicas is affected by his level but he cannot create a replica more powerful or durable than the original. We will also touch more on this later down the line. **

**Now a quick question from me: Does anyone know for sure which kind of animal Rifana is? Because the wiki says 'weasel' but her appearance screams 'cat' to me. Now then, I hope you've all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment on what you liked/disliked/if you got an answer to the Rifana question or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the Armory Hero attempts his first act of heroism. 'Til then.**


	4. Mansion Massacre

**Mansion Massacre**

Ruins of the Heroes: Three Days Ago

Darius could feel his limit approaching as he looked at the ground, which was currently littered with weapons. A warning of sorts sounded on his HUD, indicating that his magic was at its limit and that some of his abilities were shutting off. With a groan, Darius released his replica ability which caused all of the weapons on the ground to disintegrate as he collapsed to a sitting position, breathing heavily. "It seems you can maintain weapons outside of your inventory for at least a couple of hours so long as they're not used in combat," observed Fitoria as she walked up next to Darius.

"And apparently a day or two if I've got them in my inventory," said Darius, "Though I'm curious when I'll need to replicate this many weapons at once."

"It's possible that you won't need to at all," Said Fitoria, "But it's important for you to know all of your limitations. You may be a cardinal hero with certain protections and advantages, but that does not mean you're the most powerful warrior in the land."

"Yeah our latest session of Fitoria's school of ass-rending made that pretty obvious," said Darius, "I gotta work my way up just like everyone else. One quick question though, am I always gonna have to retrieve my projectile weapons? Because according to you and the help screen, my inventory expands in size with my level and after a long battle, I don't imagine I'll feel like picking up every weapon I used."

"In time, you should be able to gain an ability that will retrieve your weapons for you," replied Fitoria, "But only once certain conditions have been met. The same applies to all of your other unique abilities and skills."

"Unlock as I go," said Darius as he stood up and crossed his arms in a thinking pose, "Well if it saves my bacon in a pinch. I just hope I don't gain an inconvenient ability at a bad time."

"We can only hope," remarked Fitoria as she ended training for that day.

Mansion of Idol Rabier: Now

"A-Armory Hero," spat a confused Rabier, "What sort of nonsense are you blabbering about now?"

"Yeah I figured you wouldn't know," remarked Darius, "The fifth cardinal hero doesn't appear quite as often as the other four. Bad luck for you that you managed to pick up the latest one."

"Well it hardly matters anyway," Said Rabier, "You can't honestly expect to just walk out of here after threatening me, do you?!"

"I can if I walk out with a sword to your throat," Darius pointed out, "I'm certain your guards won't be too happy if I kill their employer and I'm certain you don't want to die choking on your own blood. So here's the deal, you come along quietly to your little dungeon and open up the cells. I take the children and you with me and kick your sorry ass out the back of the wagon the moment we cross the gate. I don't know about you, but that's a damn sight more reasonable than you deserve if you ask me."

"If you think I'm going to stand here and let someone make demands of me in my own mansion," said Rabier as he reached for his whip, "YOU'RE SORELY MISTAKEN!" The noble pulled his whip off of his belt and readied to strike with it. But Darius had activated his Imitator mask the moment he saw movement and charged forward with a slashing maneuver he'd seen earlier that day. The nobleman yelled in pain as his hand was cut across the back, causing him to stumble backwards while losing his hold on his whip.

Darius caught the whip in his left hand, causing it disappear into his inventory as a notification popped up on his HUD. 'Unlocked skill **Auto Inventory**: grants the ability to automatically store weapons from both defeated or disarmed enemies as well as store weapons which have been used as projectiles without the need for physical contact.' Now there was something he could make use of. "You just made the wrong move," said the Armory Hero as he stepped forward.

"Now wait, just hold on a moment," said Rabier as he staggered backwards, "We can work this out, maybe even make a de-AAAAAAGH!" Amazingly, the clumsy, panicking noble had actually managed to trip over his own cape and fell back hard against the window, his weight breaking through the glass. For a split second, Darius debated on letting him fall before he remembered his current circumstances.

"Phantom Chain Claw!" He called out as a portal appeared in midair and shot out another clawed chain. The weapon wrapped itself around Rabier's arm and went taught right before he hit the ground, causing a sickening pop to ring out through the night as the nobleman yelled in pain. "Well that's a lot quicker than the stairs," Darius quipped as he generated another portal with a chain and grabbed onto it before quickly descending down to the mansion grounds where Rabier was currently struggling to get up with only one working arm.

"You, you bastard," cried Idol, "Your chain pulled my arm out of its socket!"

"I gave you the chance to come quietly," The Armory Hero reminded him, "You should count yourself lucky I still need you alive to get out of here." The sound of commotion and armored feet approaching further reinforced that point as a good number of the mansion's guards arrived at the scene.

"Saxon," said the captain of the guards, a man with a well-trimmed beard and a halberd for a weapon, as they stopped in a loose formation in front of them, "What is the meaning of this? What are you doing?!"

"I'm negotiating at the moment," replied Darius as he put his boot on Rabier's back to hold him down, "Your lord here has found my terms disagreeable."

"This boy has humiliated me and is currently trying to flee," yelled Rabier, "don't le-UFFF." He was silenced by a swift stomp from Darius.

"I am leaving and I'm taking the children in that dungeon down there with me," explained Darius, "I already got a wagon ready, save for the Filolial that needs to be hitched up to it. Would any of you gentleman mind doing that for me and bringing it around?"

"You know we can't let you do that," said the captain as he leveled his weapon, "think about this for a moment. You've already committed bodily harm to our lord and now you're attempting to make off with his property. Both are serious crimes in these lands."

"Unfortunately for all of you, I've already done quite a bit of thinking and this is the result," said Darius as he snapped his fingers, causing all of the weapons the guards were currently holding to disappear.

"W-what, how did he do that, where are our weapons?" Those were just a few of the comments from the guards as the entirety of them realized that only a few of them had any weapons left, and those were daggers.

"Whew, finally," said Darius with a sigh, "It took me all day to replace the weapons in and out of the armory with replicas, but the looks on all of your faces was worth the effort." 'And I'm lucky you bought the explanation about enhanced weapons when you noticed the altered appearance,' he thought as his expression went from pleased to stern then. "These are your weapons." A collection of ten portals opened above his head then as multiple types of weapons he'd pulled from the armory jutted out. "Now this is the last chance I'm giving any of you, either I walk out with the children and the supplies I've already taken or I skewer your lord and the rest of you with every sharp object in my inventory."

The guards all stood there watching, no one bothering to answer as a tense standoff took place. Darius was about to yell at them to make up their minds when he noticed one of the guards was glancing behind him. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening and moved to the side just as another guard rushed him with their dagger, managing to leave a scratch on his left arm below his shoulder armor. 'He climbed out of the damn bottom-floor window,' The Armory Hero cursed as he countered with his Imitator mask, which was still on, by using a quick horizontal slash to cut open the guard's lower stomach before also slashing him across the throat, effectively ending his life.

Despite him taking out the guard, however, the short scuffle still had two unfortunate effects. One, it forced him to step off of Rabier, allowing the wounded bastard to get up and attempt to run away. It also caused a momentary distraction the guards had all apparently been waiting for as the soldiers charged him with daggers and fists raised. Darius instinctively reacted by firing all ten projectiles, downing several of the guards present as he took off after Rabier. Some of the guards managed to get between him and the noblemen, but were quickly dealt with as the Armory Hero moved with the skills he'd picked up in the last several days, ducking around and slashing at their vital points before continuing his pursuit.

'Imitator makes my body move almost on its own,' Darius realized as he tried not to think about the fact that he'd killed or at least wounded over a dozen people in the span of a couple minutes, 'I just have to think of a lethal move I've seen and my body will follow.' He also tried not to think about the fact that he was earning EXP from the ones he'd struck down as he fired off more weapons at some of the guards behind him, managing to take out three more before having to stop and fight off several other arriving guards.

By this point, the commotion had drawn the attention of the remaining soldiers, who were all rushing at him in a vain attempt to restrain the cardinal hero or stab him with a dagger. The delay had also allowed Rabier something of a lead as the fight poured into the courtyard where the obelisk was. 'I don't have time for this,' thought Darius with desperation as he saw another group of guards managing to get between him and the quickly retreating noble. "HIQH QUICK!" The cardinal hero shot forward, slashing through five more guards before stopping right next to Rabier.

The surprised nobleman stumbled and turned, unaware that the steps leading to his own dungeon where right next to him. A series of pained groans and shouts followed as he rolled down the stone steps to the bottom while Darius turned his attention to another group of guards closing in on him. "Phantom Circle," ordered the Armory Hero as he stabbed his blade into the ground, causing a circle of spears, swords, axes and halberds to sprout out of the ground around him, impaling all of the guards who'd been attempting to pile on top of him. The remaining enemies finally stopped upon seeing this bloody spectacle as the makeshift spikes slowly lowered back down into the ground, revealing a bloodstained hero who's pissed off mood was obvious, even with the mask on.

Maybe it was this spectacle or maybe it was the fact that over half of the mansion's soldiers were now dead, but what little brain cells the guards had finally seemed to kick in as it dawned on them that they might be outmatched as the Armory Hero's gaze swept over the crowd. All that was needed then was a simple word. "Run," said Darius as another portal opened above his head. This served to snap the guards out of their daze as they finally retreated, either heading to hide in the mansion or to the gate to escape the grounds.

Darius kept his stance for a moment longer before closing the portal above his head as exhaustion began to eat at him. 'I still can't move anywhere near Fitoria's speed without hurting my body and keeping replica going for that long with so many weapons definitely took a toll,' he thought between breaths as he stood back up to his full height and turned to head down the stairs, 'I was lucky to have planned ahead this time, but I've still got a long way to go.' A groan interrupted his thoughts then as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "What goes around comes around, doesn't it Rabier," he remarked as he stepped past the noble who was struggling to his feet, "If you'd done as I asked, this might've turned out differently."

"I-If you think I-I," Idol started to say before a chain sprouted out of the wall and pulled him against it by his throat.

"Hold that thought," said Darius as he took the keys from the defeated bastard's belt and went down to the last cell first. It was a slow process getting the children to come out of the cells, especially with Rabier struggling over on the wall. But eventually he was able to convince all of them that he meant no harm and to gather by the entrance and wait as he opened the last cell. That, however, was when he encountered a problem.

Rifana came walking out of the cell, but her friend was nowhere to be seen. "Rifana," said Darius as he looked at the now empty cell, "Where's Raphtalia?"

"S-some of the guards came early this morning," said the weasel girl as tears came to her eyes, "They, they took Raphtalia away, said she was being sold off." She choked on her sobs then, unable to say anymore. As for Darius, he whirled around with the noble's saber pointed at his face.

"Where did you send her?" Questioned the Armory Hero with as much venom in his voice as he could muster.

"W-who," Rabier asked back, finding it difficult to speak with a chain around his neck. Darius released the chain holding him before kicking him back against the wall.

"The raccoon girl! She was in here just yesterday so tell me, WHERE IS SHE?!" Yelled the cardinal hero as the mask on his face finally disappeared, revealing a murderous gaze.

"Oh," said Rabier weakly, "that little mongrel. She was never much fun, always kept quiet even despite all of the lashings I gave her. I sent her off to be purchased by some acquaintances of mine. She could be halfway to the capital by now or maybe she's on a ship to a whole other nation, I don't know and I certainly don't care." Darius raised the saber then, intending to cut one of his eyes before he felt a tug at the back of his belt where he'd kept a couple of hidden daggers.

"YOU MONSTER!" yelled Rifana as she ran forward and jabbed the nobleman in the throat with her newly acquired blade. "Give them back! Give back Raphtalia, give back the adults you killed in my village, give back the days you've stolen from all of us, GIVE IT ALL BACK!" She punctuated each word with another vicious stab to the bastard nobleman's throat as he began coughing up blood.

Darius watched the scene with a mixture of relief and sadness as she kept stabbing until she was too exhausted to continue. A piece of human filth had now breathed their last, but it was sad that an innocent girl had dirtied her hands with blood. He waited another moment before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, startling her for a moment before she looked up at him. "It's okay, it's over now," said Darius as he held out his hand and gently took the dagger before pulling the weasel girl to her feet, "Let's get you out of here."

Rifana simply nodded as she followed next to Darius, her eyes glancing from the dead nobleman to the blood on her hands every so often as they joined the rest of the children. The Armory Hero found he needed to carry one of the children who'd grown too weak to keep walking as they climbed back up the stairs and out into the courtyard. "Try not to stare at the mess out here," said Darius as some of the children seemed to want to stop and view the carnage, "We need to move as quickly as we can." His answer was a series of weak nods as he managed to lead them to the wagon he'd readied where he opened up a barrel of food for them to eat while he hooked up the Filolial.

Unsurprisingly, the children scarfed down the meal like they hadn't eaten properly in days, which was likely right on the mark as Darius sat in the wagon and guided it out of the courtyard towards the gate. It seemed luck had smiled on them at this point as some of the fleeing guards had hastily opened it and ran, not bothering to close it back. "Uh, Mr. Saxon," said Rifana, poking her head out of the back of the wagon, "Where are we going?"

"I heard mention of another noble not far from here," replied Darius as he suddenly realized how tired he felt, "Apparently he has the gall to treat demi-humans well, and if that's true he'll hopefully be willing to offer some shelter to all of you."

"But what about you?" Questioned Rifana, "Aren't you going to stay with us?"

"Only for a little bit," replied Darius, "I need to get to the capital of Melromarc soon, before the next wave hits. But don't worry, I'm gonna make sure you're all taken care of first." Rifana seemed to accept this for the moment as she looked back to see that her friend, a demi-human with dog ears and a tail was keeping watch over the other two children who'd fallen asleep.

"Uh, Sir, Mr. Saxon," said Rifana with a bit of nervousness, "Your name is Saxon right?"

"Call me Darius," he replied, "I'm only twenty and 'Mister' makes me sound like I'm getting old."

"Oh, okay," Rifana said, "Could I sit up here with you, at least for a little bit?"

"I suppose," said Darius, too tired to really try arguing, "Just help keep an eye on the kids back there for me while you're at it."

"I will," said Rifana with a look of slightly renewed determination in her eyes. The Armory Hero nodded in appreciation as the rest of the ride continued in silence.

Sometime Later: Mansion of Van Reichnott

Like the last mansion, the current one they were arriving at was fairly fancy. It differed from Rabier's mansion in that instead of being a large U-shaped structure it was more along the lines of an extra-large three-story house with some pointed spires and a green roof. It was also a lot more inviting with several nicely trimmed hedges decorating the paths around it. The lights were fortunately still on, telling Darius that the house was indeed occupied at the moment as he pulled the wagon up to the front door. "Stay here for a moment," He ordered softly, "I need to make sure this one isn't a complete prick too."

Rifana nodded before backing up a little into the wagon, keeping watch as Darius stepped down and walked over to the door. Taking a deep breath, Darius decided the direct approach was the best in this instance and banged his fist on the door a few times. About a minute passed before the door was opened by a blond-haired maid, wearing the typical uniform. "Can I help you sir?" Asked the maid in a neutral voice.

"Yeah we kind of need a han-," his vision swam as the Armory Hero collapsed through the doorway before blacking out completely.

The Next Day

'Ow, that was sudden,' thought Darius as his eyes fluttered open to take in the room around him. It wasn't overly decorated but it was still the kind of room you'd probably only find in the home of a noble with large windows and ornate wallpaper. The bed he was in was relatively comfortable with red sheets, a fact the cardinal hero was thankful for as he noticed he had a number of bandages on the wounds he'd sustained fighting the guards. Though he also felt a bit more uneasy when he realized he was missing his armor. He was also curious why his right cheek was in pain.

"It's good to see you're finally awake," said a seemingly kind voice, drawing Darius's attention to the middle of the room where a man with purple hair that spilled down the back of his neck was sitting. He was a bit pale and had a small set of spectacles balanced on his nose, but what gave away his status as a noble was the fancy purple button-up shirt and immaculate white cape he was wearing. "It's not every day someone comes collapsing on my doorstep, and it's even rarer for them to be driving a wagon full of children. My maids brought you here after you collapsed, though one of them did slap you when you collapsed on her." 'That explains that,' thought the Armory Hero as he rubbed his cheek. "Tell me, what business do you have here that you'd come so late at night in such an exhausted state?"

"Before I tell you that," said Darius, "can you at least confirm for me who you are?"

"Ah yes, forgive my poor manners," said the man, his kind smile never leaving his face, "You may call me Van Reichnott. I am the lord of this humble house."

"That's good, we're in the right place," Darius said as he sighed in relief, "Are the children okay?"

"My maids have been attending to them since you arrived," replied Reichnott, "Which brings us back to my original question. What exactly are you here for?"

"I needed a safe place to leave those kids," explained Darius, "I've heard you treat the demi-humans around here well, so if anyone could help them it'd be you. I can even pay you if need be."

"I can indeed help them," said Reichnott, "But first I need to know where you found them and how is it they came to be in such terrible condition? I've held off on questioning the children given they've clearly been through so much already, but one fact I have gleaned is that you were not the one responsible for their current state. In fact, given the way they were begging us to help you, I'm more than certain you probably took them away from all of that pain."

"I did more than take them away," said Darius, "the bastard nobleman who had them imprisoned and tortured is no more and the same goes for most of his guards."

"Goodness," said Reichnott, "A nobleman did this to the children?"

"You might know him," Said the Armory Hero, "A sadistic piece of shit by the name of Idol Rabier."

"Rabier did that to the children," said Reichnott as he put a hand to his chin, "I always knew he hated demi-humans, but to stoop to torturing children."

"Well he won't be doing it anymore," said Darius, "So feel free to send some people in to raid that mansion for valuables and whatnot. Consider it a thank you for helping the kids and for patching me up." Reichnott didn't respond to that right away as he seemed to be pondering something.

"What do you think of his story Figneria?" Asked the nobleman to someone out of sight.

"He's telling the truth," said a female voice as a dark-haired woman emerged seemingly from the shadows. To say she stood out a bit was an understatement as her black cloth-made outfit left little to the imagination with lose leggings, robed sleeves that left her shoulders exposed, a blue sash around her waist and a large cape with a furred collar that hung from her shoulders. What was most striking about her outfit, however, was the apparently Egyptian style wings on both the front and on the sash of her attire. "The wounds he sustained are also certainly battle wounds from blades."

"So you managed to save the children and fight your way through Rabier's guards," said Reichnott, "That is impressive. But tell me, what motivated you to commit such an act of valor in the first place?"

"It seemed like something any decent person would do," Said Darius, "And hero or not, somebody had to do something."

"What exactly do you mean by 'hero'," questioned Figneria with a raised eyebrow. Darius, realizing his error too late, attempted to blurt out an excuse but was quickly silenced by her next sentence. "You should know I'm very good at picking out lies, and I can already tell that while you have experience, you are not the most practiced liar out there." The cardinal hero's mind raced as he tried to think of a good explanation that would sound believable, but nothing came.

"I suppose I'll have to start at the beginning," he finally said, "You see, I was brought here from another world."

**And so ends Darius's first act of heroism, it was a mess but he made it out. In other news, I'd first like to apologize if I gave anyone a miniature panic attack with Darius meeting Raphtalia. As you all know the first act of heroism does not always go well and I'd hoped everyone would be just as surprised as Darius to find that he was too late to save her. But fear not, she shall reappear. And to anyone wondering about the woman at the end, she is indeed Figneria from the Lord Marksman series, and her inclusion was an idea suggested to me by a fellow reader that made a lot of sense given what I have planned next and because it's an Isekai so why not. As always I encourage everyone to comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you too have a neat idea for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Darius trains a new traveling companion to go up against the waves. 'Til then.**


	5. Growing Up Fast

**Growing Up Fast**

Mansion of Van Reichnott

Darius stood to the side as he observed some of the maids at work with the demi-human children. Next to him stood the lord of the manor with the same friendly expression on his face while his bodyguard, according to her, Figneria stood behind them both with her gaze boring through the back of Darius's head. 'I always thought I'd be excited to have a beautiful woman staring at me,' thought the Armory Hero as he glanced behind him before turning his attention back to the children. "So what exactly are the vials there for?"

"You confirmed what I feared earlier this morning," explained Reichnott, "When you got in yesterday, the maids informed me that all but one of the children had slave crests. I sent for the potion to dissolve it right before you awoke and it just recently arrived."

"Slave crests?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow, "Is that some sort of branding?"

"It's a mystical seal used to bind a slave to their master," explained Reichnott, "It causes extreme pain whenever they don't follow orders. It also prevents them from lying or running from their masters and only becomes ineffective once the seal is removed or the master dies. I do find it curious that the weasel girl did not have one." Darius thought for a moment before materializing the potion Fitoria had given him.

"Could this have had anything to do with it," he asked as he showed the nobleman the bottle, "I got it from someone who knows quite a bit about magic. She told me it's powerful enough to heal wounds, cure ailments and remove impurities. That might mean stuff like slave crests too." Reichnott took the potion for a moment and examined it, likely looking at the stats.

"I've never seen a potion with such powerful properties," He said as he handed the bottle back to Darius, "Whoever made this was not only a good mixer but also, as you said, a skilled magic user."

"She couldn't remember exactly who made it," said Darius as he sent it back to his inventory, "But it was probably the previous Shield Hero."

"Intriguing," said Reichnott with a hand to his chin, "If she trusted you enough to give you something like that, it further confirms your story of being who you say you are."

"Yeah I know the story seems far-fetched," said Darius, "But believe me or not, my main concern right now is to make sure those children are safe then get on over to the capital pronto."

"It just seems curious that there exists a fifth cardinal hero that no one knows about," Figneria pointed out, "I'd think even a minor hero of legend would still have a few that remember them."

"The one who told me all of this remembered, even if it was in bits and pieces," said Darius, "And I can back up the fact that my abilities are different from most forms of magic in this land. But as I said before it's not the most pressing issue right now." Figneria still didn't seem convinced, but all other conversation was cut short as Rifana walked up to them, wearing a new little sundress with short-sleeves Reichnott had provided for her.

"Are my friends going to be okay?" Questioned Rifana, still somewhat sheepish from her time in a cell.

"Of course they are," said Reichnott with a soft smile, "I've ordered my maids to take the utmost care of all of you. Why do you ask?"

"Well the maids said Keel picked up a cold yesterday," said Rifana, "The one I had was pretty bad until Darius gave me that medicine. I'm just, I know I would've died from mine if no one had helped me."

"You needn't worry little one," these words coming from Figneria, surprisingly enough, "My lord has cared for many demi-humans. He'll insure something as trivial as a cold doesn't take any of them away."

"Thank you," said Rifana with a look of relief in her eyes. But it was obvious something else was troubling her. "Also, I was wondering. C-could I travel with you Darius?" Needless to say, everyone was more than a little surprised by this request.

"Uh, Rifana," said Darius as he rubbed the back of his head wondering how best to explain the situation, "Don't you think it'd be better if you stuck with your friends? I already explained that I can't hang around long."

"All my friends are getting taken care of, you saw to that," replied Rifana, "So I want to come along with you and if possible look for Raphtalia."

"I'm afraid I must advise against that," said Reichnott with a note of concern in his voice, "As Mr. Saxon has finished explaining to us, he is apparently the Armory Hero. What that means is he'll be heading into battle against many fearsome monsters in a couple weeks' time. It would be beyond irresponsible for him to bring a child to a possible war zone."

"Then, I'll learn to fight," said Rifana with a little bit of conviction in her words.

"It's not that simple," said Darius, "The next wave is coming by the end of this month which gives us a little over three weeks. In that time I need to make it to the capital and meet the other heroes while also getting my level up as high as I can. Even if I had trained someone before I doubt I'd be able to get you up to fighting shape in time to make it to the capital." He honestly hated saying all of this as he knew it was making the little one cry. Fate, however, seemed to have other plans.

"If I may," said Figneria, "that's not entirely true." The bodyguard stepped forward then and kneeled down in front of Rifana, staring into her eyes as if she were inspecting a weapon. "I thought so, you've killed before haven't you child?" The weasel girl simply nodded weakly. Figneria stood back up as she resumed speaking. "She has the eyes of a fighter, so I doubt you'll easily dissuade her. And forgive me for speaking out of turn my lord, but have you forgotten the special trait of demi-humans who've formed a party?"

"My goodness you're right," said Reichnott as he rubbed his head in embarrassment, "Indeed it would take much less time if Mr. Saxon here truly is a cardinal hero."

"Does anyone wanna clue me in on the big secret here," said Darius, not sure he was liking where this conversation was headed.

"Well as you may know," began the nobleman, "those who form parties, especially parties with heroes, share experience when they bring down an enemy. What you might not have heard is that when a demi-human forms a party and gains experience alongside a hero, they grow and become stronger much more quickly. I believe Figneria is suggesting that you may be able to get her up to 'fighting shape' much sooner than you think."

"That still doesn't solve the other problem, though," said Darius, "I've never taught anyone how to fight. My Imitator ability copies fighting styles but it's partly intuitive, meaning I'll naturally use the correct form and balance without hardly thinking about it. So even if she stands by for a bit and gains experience from me killing monsters, there's still the matter of teaching her how to use a weapon."

"I can handle that," said Figneria, "I've trained people before and we've been having a slight issue with small monsters lurking around recently. I could train the both of you to fight and in exchange you help clear the monsters. Besides, we won't be able to provide you with a wagon for at least a couple of days as they're all busy."

"Busy," said Darius as he directed a half-questioning, half-accusing gaze towards Reichnott.

"Ah yes, I was going to mention that," said the nobleman, "You see I've decided to set up an auction of sorts for the belongings of Idol Rabier. To that end I've sent out all of my available wagons to bring back as much as they can carry. The process will take a few days as we'll be doing a lot of sorting and cataloging."

"So I'm basically stuck here waiting on one of your wagons to show up or I got to go into town and hope there's someone around I can pay for a lift," Darius summed up.

"That is correct," affirmed Figneria, "And we can't guarantee this child won't come after you. I am also still suspicious of your story about being a cardinal hero. So consider this a way to put my own fears to rest." Darius looked between all of their faces, trying to see if any of them would back down. But it was obvious Rifana was determined enough to follow after him even if he said no and even if he was successful in getting her to stay, Figneria might just train her and send her off anyway. Finally, the Armory Hero came to a decision with a sigh.

"Alright, how about this," suggested Darius as he turned to Rifana, "I'll give you about a week to show me that you've got what it takes to travel with me. If you don't give up or get yourself severely hurt during that time then you can come along. If, however, it becomes obvious that you can't fully grasp the concept of monster fighting or you spend an excessive amount of time complaining then the deals off and you stay here." Rifana nodded in understanding as Darius held out his hand. A message appeared in his field of vision then as the weasel girl shook his hand: add new party member?

Darius focused his vision on 'yes' as the message disappeared and a second health and status bar appeared under his with Rifana's name on it. Surprisingly, she was already level three. 'I guess killing Rabier did more for her than I thought,' he pondered as he turned to Figneria. "Alright, you got your little monster extermination team, so what'll we need to do first?"

"The little one is going to need a weapon," said Figneria, "I'm certain you can provide one."

"If it helps verify my story," said Darius as he opened up a few portals on the ground from which multiple types of weapons sprouted. "Alright Rifana, these are some of the smaller weapons I've got in my inventory so choose wisely and all that." The weasel girl nodded in understanding before walking back and forth between the weapons presented to her until she finally stopped in front of the mace Darius had used the first night he'd met her. She grabbed a hold of it and managed to heft it upwards with a surprising strength.

"Could I use this one Darius?" Questioned Rifana, "I, don't really want to use something with a blade again, at least not yet."

"Only if you're sure," replied the cardinal hero as he turned back to Figneria, "Next order of business I guess, where are the monsters hiding?"

Forest Road: A Short Time Later

"The monsters encountered on this part of the road are not terribly high level," explained Figneria, "But some are strong enough to harass even the more hardy villagers and I cannot spare enough time to deal with them all. So this will be your first test little one." As if on cue, a balloon monster leapt out of the bushes heading straight for her. The woman didn't even flinch as she swiftly caught the little cretin with her hands and held it out in front of her. "Hit it as hard as you can."

Rifana nodded as she held the mace up hesitantly above her head. Then, with what Darius assumed was an extraordinarily cute battle cry, she charged forward and swung, with her eyes closed. Despite that, the hit still landed with enough force to destroy the balloon monster as the Armory Hero watched both him and Rifana gain EXP. "Not a bad hit, but it still needs a lot of work," said Figneria, "This time try not to close your eyes. Darius, you'll also be holding the monster this time."

"Yeah I'm one step ahead of ya on that," said Darius as he held out his arm which currently had one of the balloons chomped down on it. He'd quickly discovered that the higher his level the less pain he felt from small attacks. He hoped that applied to this next one as Rifana charged again, swinging the mace horizontally this time. The cardinal hero managed to adjust his arm at the last second so the hit wouldn't be off target as the two of them were rewarded with yet another popped balloon and more EXP.

"Now for the next step," said Figneria as she watched another approaching balloon, "You'll need to hit one when it's not stationary." Rifana nodded in understanding, her face showing a little more confidence as she stepped to the side of the road and swung at the next balloon that leapt out. But this time, the result was not quite satisfactory as the little monster managed to grab onto the top of her mace with its jaws, causing the demi-human girl to squeal in panic as she began frantically swinging it all over the place.

"Calm yourself, fear is an enemy that must also be overcome," said Figneria as Darius attempted to step forward and help her. A decision he immediately regretted as the monster covered mace was slammed into his more sensitive areas, causing him to almost double over before being hit in the head. He quickly curled into the fetal position as he felt himself being hit a few more times before the balloon finally popped.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay Darius," exclaimed a worried, and rather embarrassed Rifana.

"Just the first day," replied Darius in a slightly higher voice with a thumbs up, "These things happen."

"We'd best stand clear for the next one," commented Figneria as the hero struggled back to his feet. It'd take him the better part of an hour before his voice returned to normal.

Behind Reichnott Mansion: That Evening

After a few more hiccups, or bites as it were, the two of them managed to get into a comfortable enough rhythm, at least to the point where Figneria was confident enough to leave them be for a few hours. By the time they returned, Rifana had actually managed to jump up a few levels and barely needed any intervention in fighting the basic balloons as they returned to the mansion, more or less, triumphantly. Now, after a quick meal and a good amount of rest later, the two-person party stood in front of Figneria once more as the next part of their training commenced. "Now," she said, "You've seen what you're capable of and what you need to improve on. So for you Rifana, I'll be showing you a couple of basic forms that should help you develop an actual technique in fighting."

"And what should I be doing," questioned Darius with a raised hand.

"You shall watch first and then we'll spar," said Figneria as she held out her hand, "I hope you have a second mace."

"Hope you don't mind Morning-star," replied the Armory Hero as he produced one of the maces he'd picked up at Rabier's mansion and handed it to the head guard. Figneria then proceeded to go through a series of basic movements with the mace as Rifana watched closely.

"Now do the first few movements and I'll be along to help in a moment," said Figneria as she sent Rifana off before turning back to Darius. "As for you, just toss me the weapons I call out." Darius nodded in understanding as he accepted the mace back and returned it to his inventory. "First, spear." Her order was answered quickly as the requested item was materialized and tossed to her.

The warrior woman wasted no time as she immediately broke into a series of twirls, jabs and sweeping maneuvers. "Now a sword," she called out, waiting for her student to summon it first before tossing him the spear and catching the new weapon. As before she demonstrated a slightly complex form, this one just as skillful as the last. "Second sword, dagger, twin dagger, ax, halberd." It was all Darius could do to keep up as he summoned and stored one weapon after another while keeping his eye on the woman in motion.

Finally, after she had used a saber did she stop her form and toss it back to Darius. "I hope you saw all of that," said Figneria, "I'm not one for repeat performances."

"You make it sound like I need much of an excuse to watch a beautiful lady in motion," said Darius as he formed his Imitator mask. He didn't catch the sigh of annoyance from his comment as he launched into the form he'd just witnessed. It was less graceful and his transition from one weapon to the next wasn't necessarily smooth, but otherwise he did an almost perfect imitation of Figneria's weapon forms.

"I suppose that's passable," said Figneria as she made some adjustments to Rifana's form before having her perform another series of movements, "But tell me, how effective is it in actual combat?"

"It worked last time I used it," replied Darius, "though I was going up against a bunch of guys armed with only daggers or their fists."

"Coincidentally," said Figneria as she drew a pair of short, ornate blades, "daggers are my preferred weapon. Now, strike at me with everything you've learned."

"I'm not entirely certain this is necessary," said Darius as he assumed his own stance and switched over to a short sword, "But since you insist." The guard woman took her own stance as the two studied each other for a moment. Darius made the first move as he closed the gap with a low diagonal strike, which was quickly parried by Figneria. The cardinal hero quickly followed up with a horizontal strike on the other side with the same result as the blow was again blocked. 'Gotta change up styles,' he thought as he used a feint before switching hands to use a reverse-gripped slash.

But the maneuver wasn't quick enough as Figneria dodged it with a step back. "Is that the only weapon you're going to use?" Questioned the mercenary woman as she moved and managed to get a kick in under Darius's guard. The Armory Hero, taking her advice, backed up and switched to a spear before moving back in with a series of jabs.

Despite him almost perfectly imitating the attacks he'd been shown, however, he noticed something was off. He just wasn't as fast or as strong, or as experienced as her, meaning she was able to counter, avoid or block anyone of the attacks he used. She yanked the spear out of his hand, twisted a sword out of his grasp and even managed to cut the bindings of a shield he'd tried to use in a surprise attack. Finally, he attempted to use dual daggers against her and managed to hold his own for a short while given that he'd learned more and more attacks just by watching her. But even these eventually failed as she managed to grasp his arm and kick the back of his leg, bringing him down into a half-kneeling position in an arm bar.

"It seems clear to me now," said Figneria as she released the Armory Hero, "your Imitator ability may allow you to duplicate the moves you've seen, but you've had little actual weapons training."

"Well my world doesn't use a lot in the way of swords and spears these days," explained Darius as he rubbed his arm a bit, "do ya got any recommendations?"

"I believe I do have a criteria now," replied Figneria as Rifana also walked up to listen, "Tomorrow and for the rest of this week, you two shall start weapons and ability training in the morning and raise your levels in the afternoon. Do you think you can handle this?"

"Can't be much worse than training with Fitoria," remarked Darius.

"If that's what it takes for me to be able to help, I'll do it," said Rifana with a determined look in her eyes.

"Very well then," said Figneria, "Get plenty of rest tonight. Hero or child I will not be going easy on either of you."

One Painful Week Later

Reichnott's guard was as good as her word. Each morning was a round of weapons training and sparring. Sometimes she'd spar with Darius and sometimes she'd spar with Rifana. The two of them were also given the chance to hone their abilities or learn new ones such as Rifana increasing her strength and speed while the cardinal hero learned how to effectively shoot with a bow and arrow alongside his Phantom Army projectiles. By the end of each morning, both hero and child would be plenty ready for lunch which, despite Darius's protests, Reichnott assured were on the house as it seemed he expected to make quite a killing at his little auction.

The afternoons would then be filled with Darius and Rifana venturing out and exterminating the monster population which had gathered near the roadsides. They'd managed to form a slight strategy for fighting with Darius firing projectiles at approaching enemies and Rifana bashing any that got through the barrage. The Armory Hero would also engage in close combat alongside his companion if any remaining monsters managed to make it that far. The two party members actually enjoyed this part of the training as it not only allowed them to level up a decent amount, but it also gave them a sense of accomplishment knowing they were helping out the nearby town.

A few other noteworthy changes were also occurring with the little weasel girl, namely that she wasn't quite as little anymore. In fact she seemed to be growing as quickly as her confidence as the petite little lady he'd met only a few days ago now looked like a developing teenager. 'I hope she doesn't have a rebellious phase,' thought Darius as he watched her come back with their latest monster kill, a type of nasty lizard with fangs similar to snakes. "I got it Darius," sang Rifana happily, "Do you think it'll be good for dinner tonight?"

"Couldn't say," replied the cardinal hero as he accepted the lizard carcass, "But I hear with enough seasoning you can eat just about anything. And given that we're going to be on the road tomorrow, we might as well get used to the possibility of eating wild game."

"Right," said the weasel girl happily as she hopped along back to the wagon. 'I really hope she's only happy about a job well done and not the fact that she killed something,' mused Darius as Rifana called back to him to hurry up. The return trip that evening was pleasant and so was the meal as Reichnott took a moment to say a word of thanks to the two of them for curbing the monster infestation near the village. He even granted them a reward in the form of a bag of gold coins, despite the both of them insisting that they had enough money already.

But the kind noble was even more insistent and said they'd need it for their journey tomorrow as all the other preparations had been made for them to depart in the morning. 'It'll take us a few days to reach the capital once we get started,' surmised the cardinal hero as he washed his face and looked in the mirror, still wondering where in the heck he'd managed to obtain silver highlights in his hair. 'I just hope we can make it in time before the wave hits. There's still going to be plenty to do once we arrive.'

"Are you feeling uneasy, Mr. Saxon," said a female voice as Darius whirled around to see Figneria standing in the doorway.

"Oh it's you," said Darius as he stopped himself from summoning a weapon at the last moment, "What brings you to the men's bathroom?"

"You left the door open," Figneria pointed out, "And I already knew you were done bathing."

"I won't comment on how it's creepy that you knew that," said Darius as he walked out of the doorway and headed towards his room with the woman in tow, "So what's got you prowling around looking for me? Aren't any problems with tomorrow's travel plans are there?"

"Not as far as supplies and materials go," replied Figneria as they arrived at his room, "but I have a slight concern when it comes to your mental well-being."

"How so," questioned the college student with a raised eyebrow, "I mean it's a lot of pressure when I sit down and think about this whole save the world mess I've been pulled into. But I've felt fine otherwise."

"I'm talking about your willingness to take a life again," said Figneria, "I mentioned when you first arrived that Rifana's eyes were of someone who'd killed before. Yours have a similar look to them, but it's more resigned." Darius sighed at the observation as he sat down on his bed.

"Are you asking me if I regret doing what I had to do at the mansion," inquired Darius, "Because the answer is, not as much as I expected."

"Why do you think it is you feel that way?" Figneria questioned further as she too sat down on the bed across from him.

"If I'm being perfectly honest, Rabier was still going to die even if the plan had gone the way it was supposed to," explained Darius, "after seeing what he was doing to Rifana and her friends, something just snapped inside of me. It was the first time in my life I'd ever truly wanted to end someone, and given that the guards all helped him hurt so many innocent people, I guess I really stopped seeing them as human beings. I'm not gonna lie and say I believe I was justified in killing so many people, but if I hadn't, those kids might've died instead."

"So you don't feel much in the way of guilt," asked Figneria with a neutral expression.

"I do wish the situation had gone differently," admitted Darius, "But truthfully, I've hardly lost sleep over killing those guards. Are you telling me that's abnormal for a regular person in this world?"

"Not in this case," said Figneria, "The reason I'm asking is because you will likely encounter more who despise demi-humans and there may come a time when you'll have to end another's life in order to protect Rifana. I have already spoken with her and I can tell she is willing to do what she has to in order to keep others from suffering as she has."

"And you're worried that I might choke at the thought of having to kill more people," said Darius, "If I didn't know better I'd almost think you were worried about me."

"My concern is for the child traveling with you," said Figneria, "When the two of you leave tomorrow you'll be depending on each other to survive. You may not have realized it but she has latched onto you as one of her only remaining reasons to keep on living. So you must survive for her if for nothing else and that may mean raising your weapons against other human beings. So I'm asking you now, if it comes to it will you end the lives of more people if it means protecting hers?" Darius's eyes narrowed as all humor left his voice.

"I may wish that fewer people had to die at Rabier's mansion," stated the Armory Hero, "But I'd do it again and kill twice to three times as many in order to see Rifana and the children safe. If the moment comes again where I have to choose between Rifana's life and the life of some bastard, you better believe I won't hesitate to end them."

"Hmm, you're not lying," said Figneria with the slightest curve of what might have been a smirk as she stood up from the bed, "I'm still not entirely convinced. But more than enough that I won't need to worry when you set out tomorrow. So have a pleasant sleep, Sir Hero." With that, the mercenary woman gave a slight bow before exiting the room. As for Darius, he had a slightly harder time falling asleep that night.

That Morning: Time of Departure

A small entourage had gathered to watch as the wagon began pulling away. "A safe journey to the both of you," called Reichnott as he and a number of his maids waved to their departing guests. Even if it had only been a week, a number of them had grown fond of the presence of the Armory Hero and his new weasel girl companion.

"Thank you again for all your help everyone," called back Rifana as she hung from the front side of the wagon and waved back. The girl was now wearing grey baggy pants and boots along with a pair of gloves that covered past her wrists. She also wore a brown shirt with chainmail underneath the fabric, a gift that Figneria had surprised her with last night. She also now wore basic leather shin and arm guards as well as a basic leather armor covering over her shirt.

In all honesty it was a little strange to Darius as he realized that the girl in his dream might actually have been this weasel girl. But he put those thoughts to the back of his mind as he sat in the front of the wagon and waved to the nobleman, his servants and, oddly enough, Figneria of all people as the mansion slowly shrank behind them.

"Oh I've always wanted to see the capital," said Rifana excitedly as she finally sat down properly next to Darius, "I hear the castle is breathtaking!"

"You do remember we're headed into a battle," Darius pointed out, "I wouldn't get too excited about our travel plans just yet."

"But I can't help it," said Rifana, "after everything that's happened I'm actually going on an adventure, and with a real cardinal hero!"

"You saying you would be less excited if I was just an ordinary adventurer?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow.

"Even if you were I'd still be excited," said Rifana with a smile, "It's always been my dream to meet one of the cardinal heroes some day and now I've got the chance to meet all four of them! And I'm doing it with a fifth cardinal hero whose legend is starting anew!"

"I guess if you want to put it that way," said Darius, "But since we're on the subject, which cardinal hero are you hoping to meet out of all of them?" Rifana turned to him with a beaming smile.

"Why the Shield Hero of course," she replied, "He's been praised as the kindest and noblest by all demi-humans after all."

"Well let's hope he and the rest of the heroes all live up to the hype then," said Darius as he snapped the reins to increase the wagons speed, "Because starting now we're fighting for the fate of the world, so let's give it our all!" Rifana cheered at the declaration as they rode off into the day. And Darius had to admit, despite the terrible events of a week ago, he was excited to face the coming challenges ahead. One of those challenges, would be learning that legends and real life are sometimes very different.

**At last Darius and his new companion are on their way as the training wheels finally come off! That's right, from this point on it's Darius and Rifana against the world, so to speak. Oh and before anyone asks, this will not be the last we see of Figneria. In the meantime, hello everyone, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Darius and Rifana reach their destination, and meet a rather grumpy cardinal hero! 'Til then.**


	6. The Disgraced Hero

**The Disgraced Hero**

Castle Town: Capital of Melromarc

"Now you're absolutely sure you read the map right?" Questioned Darius as he guided the wagon around another bend.

"I've been reading the map better than you this whole trip, so yes I'm sure," Rifana replied as she examined the edges of her new mace. Her previous one had started to crack after a battle with a type of snapping-turtle monster, forcing them to buy a new one that had much larger, and sharper, edges which were constructed using an ore known as magic iron.

"Including the time you took us through a tunnel filled with giant rats," the Armory Hero reminded her.

"I had the map upside down only once," Rifana shot back, "You got us lost three times and we lost two days because of it."

"Didn't we also loose a couple of days because you let yourself get sprayed by that nasty skunk creature," Darius pointed out.

"I didn't 'let' myself get sprayed by that little demon," said Rifana with a huff, not really wanting to think about that particular event, "I just happened to not notice the stripe until it was too late."

"Well everyone in town noticed the smell," said Darius, "I do hope you remember our strategy for the next time something like that happens, because I doubt the next town will be nice enough to help us get rid of the stench for free."

"How could I forget," Said Rifana, "All we talked about for hours was strategy after that, you were even writing notes so neither of us would forget!"

"Well you know the reason for that," Darius said, "we were both lucky it was only a skunk monster that time, but what if it had been something that shot poison or acid, or had an electrified body?"

"I know, I know," said Rifana as she checked the map again before rolling it back up and sticking it back in one of her pockets, "we flush out the monster first then engage it once we know what it can do."

"And if it's a monster with ranged attacks," questioned the Armory Hero.

"You grab it's attention with your own ranged attacks while I flank around to the side or behind it," Rifana recited from memory before turning around with a question of her own, "And what do we do against armored enemies?"

"If there's no obvious weak point, we wear down or try to damage the armor and if the initial attacks don't work, we circle and strike at anything resembling a weak spot," answered Darius. "And most importantly, what do we do if we encounter an overly large monster with tendrils?"

"We book it out of there," answered Rifana, "Though to be honest I'm still not clear on why that's the strategy. I know my mace might not be the best weapon against it but you've got at least a dozen different types of cutting weapons in your inventory."

"It's uh, difficult to explain," replied the cardinal hero as he glanced at his companion's almost fully grown body, "let's just say I've done some reading where I come from and you do not want one of those things getting ahold of you."

"Well if you really think it's that big a deal-oh wow look!" exclaimed Rifana as they reached the top of a hill. In the distance was a large castle on a plateau and in the surrounding area was the largest town Darius had ever seen. "That's gotta be it! We finally made it!"

Darius smiled at his partner's enthusiasm, feeling a good bit of relief himself. As they'd been discussing, the trip from Reichnott's mansion to get to the capital had hit a few snags along the way. It started off well enough with them traveling along the road and stopping every now and then to either eat or grind levels for a while. It had been a unanimous decision to stop at one of the town's to rest at the end of the first day.

It was afterwards, however, when problems began to crop up. Darius had overheard something about a shortcut to get to the capital and, while a little skeptical, decided it was at least worth checking. This turned out to be a bad move as the reason the shortcut was not used often was the presence of bandits and monsters. Darius and Rifana were able to fight through them with little trouble, but it meant a lot more stopping and resting as well as losing a day just to change the wheel on the carriage.

The journey got slightly better after they made it back to the main road, but then Rifana had a little run-in with a skunk-like monster. She managed to kill it, but in order for them to get rid of the stench, the people of the next village had her sit in a special room where the smell couldn't escape and spent two days dousing her every few hours with what was supposed to be a remedy of sorts. Darius had suggested tomato juice, but apparently the village lacked the ability to grow tomatoes on their land.

It was then that the Otaku managed to get them lost a second time, where it was declared from that point on that Rifana would be the navigator of their little group. She did the job well, until she led them into a cave filled with rat-like monsters who wanted to chew their faces off. As far as road trips went, it had been terrible. But it also gave them both a great feeling of accomplishment as they rode down the street, taking in the numerous sights of medieval style buildings, stalls, shops and various people roaming about.

"Oh there's so much to see," said Rifana as her eyes darted from place to place as she bounced in her seat excitedly.

"We'll have plenty of time to look around in a bit," said Darius as he guided the wagon into a stable Reichnott had told them about. Apparently he had a man here who did the occasional bit of delivery work for him. The two of them had a letter explaining the situation and a list of items he was supposed to bring back to the mansion from the capital.

"Is there any chance we could go shopping for a bit," said Rifana as she leapt down once the wagon was parked.

"If we're shopping around for more weapons and materials, yeah," replied Darius as he climbed down and began unhitching the Filolial.

"You know that's not what I mean," said Rifana with her arms crossed and a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I know," said the college student, "how about this. You go and scout around a bit for souvenirs, nothing too expensive please, and I'll get the business here wrapped up." A smile appeared on the weasel girl's face as she happily nodded and sped off. "And try to find somewhere for us to eat dinner while you're at it!" He didn't get a reply back as to whether or not she had heard him.

'All this traveling works up an appetite,' he thought as he finished leading the Filolial into a stall, 'so the quicker I get this done the quicker the both of us get what we want.' Fortunately for him, delivering the letter and explaining the situation to Reichnott's contact took almost no time at all. Apparently the man was used to running odd errands for the noble, especially since the king had run him and any other demi-loving noble out to the remote regions of Melromarc. Darius had heard the story himself but now that he was actually in the capital, it made him a little uneasy to know the ruler was probably racist.

But whatever the case, he would still probably need to see the king if for no other reason than to find the other heroes. With that in mind, Darius checked their supplies and money one more time to insure everything was set before heading out into the semi-crowded street. As his eyes scanned the crowd, he noticed the population was largely human, which made finding an animal girl that much easier. It also helped that he'd figured out Rifana had a love for necklaces, so it was no surprise when he found her in front of a stall which sold a few.

"Finding anything interesting," said Darius as he walked up next to his companion. She responded by holding up a necklace with a few pieces of metal resembling a snowflake with a small hole for a jewel.

"What do ya think," she asked, smiling like a little kid who'd found a new toy. Though when one really thought about it, she was technically still ten years old.

"I think it's well-crafted," replied the cardinal hero, "But are you sure it's practical for fighting?"

"As a matter of fact it can be," said Rifana as she pointed at the hole, "we can set jewels here that can enhance magic when we find them."

"I'm limited to only certain types of magic," Darius reminded her, "So this thing will probably only help you, assuming you can use magic."

"Everyone has at least a small degree of magical affinity," Rifana informed him, "We just need to find a magic shop first and see what the two of us can do. That's something Figneria told me. Which means if we happen to have something like this ahead of time-."

"Alright, alright," said Darius, "I can already tell you'll pester me about the ups and downs the rest of the day if I don't buy it. And I suppose it'll make for a good souvenir at least."

"Thank you!" said Rifana as she gave him a quick hug. He admittedly did enjoy seeing her happy, though his mood was quickly soured when he learned the price was one hundred and fifty silver.

"I hope that decoration does everything you say it can do," said Darius as they continued walking down the street. "I don't like paying so much for a simple aesthetic."

"But we've still got a fair bit of money thanks to you," Rifana reminded him as she moved along, examining her new trinket for a moment with a bounce in her step, "And the stall owner was nice enough to give me a deal. He said it was originally three hundred silver."

"I'm sure he says that to everyone," remarked the Armory Hero. Rifana was about to reply when she stopped suddenly, looking down one of the streets.

"What is it," questioned Darius as he looked back at his party member.

"It, it can't be," Rifana almost whispered as she stared down the street, transfixed by what she saw.

The Armory Hero looked towards where she was looking and froze as well, similar thoughts playing through their heads. 'How can it be, she was nearly dead the last time we saw here.' The two almost dismissed it as another person resembling her until she caught sight of them and stopped as well. All doubt disappeared then as the raccoon-eared girl they were looking at said a single word. "Rifana," said the raccoon girl as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Raphtalia," said Rifana as she stepped forward slowly at first. Her friend mirrored the action for another few moments before the both of them broke into a run, meeting each other halfway as they both hugged each other. It was a touching scene as the two friends held onto each other while kneeling in the middle of the street. The moment didn't last too long, though, as a somewhat stern voice interrupted the two of them.

"Raphtalia," said a guy standing behind her, "What's all the fuss about over here?" Darius turned his attention to the speaker, noting the large green cape he wore. Underneath it was a mix of leather armor with a steel chest plate, all of which possessed fur around the edges. But the most striking feature to Darius as he pulled up his Stats screen was the shield attached to his right arm and its title as a legendary weapon.

"Oh, master Naofumi," said Raphtalia as she and Rifana got to their feet, "This is one of my childhood friends from my home village, Rifana."

"It's nice to meet you," added the weasel girl with a curtsy, "Are you the one who saved Raphtalia?"

"I'm not sure saved is the right word," replied Naofumi, "I purchased her, took care of her and trained her to fight." Indeed the raccoon girl had also grown in a similar manner to Rifana, and she was wearing a new, long-sleeved red shirt which reached down to her knees and had chainmail underneath.

"No way, you learned how to fight too," said Rifana with a questioning look at her friend.

"Well I had to or we'd both be dead right now," explained Raphtalia until a thought occurred to her, "But wait, if you're here and all grown up like this then that means." Her eyes finally settled on Darius, who'd been standing off to the side for the last couple of minutes, averting his gaze from her eyes. "Darius!" The raccoon girl bounded forward and grabbed the Armory Hero's hands.

"Uh, hey Raphtalia," said Darius in as cheerful a tone as he could muster.

"You did it after all," Raphtalia said with a smile, "You saved everyone at the mansion. When they took me here, the only thing that helped me fall asleep at night was knowing someone was helping my friends."

"Yes, I was able to save everyone," said Darius, "everyone but you. I'm, I'm sorry I wasn't faster. If I had been then maybe-."

"No," said Raphtalia as she gave him a stern expression, "you did nothing wrong Darius. Neither of us knew what was going to happen the next day, including the fact that I was going to be shipped out. You still saved Rifana and Keel and the rest of my friends and that's more than enough for me. It was thanks to you that I was able to hope again."

"But if he'd decided to ship all of you out-," the college student started to protest before being stopped by the raccoon girl.

"But he didn't," said Raphtalia, "And besides, if I hadn't been shipped out, then I wouldn't have met master Naofumi."

"Who would like an explanation on who this guy is, Raphtalia," he said with a slight bit of impatience.

"Before I tell you that," said Darius as he turned and pointed to Naofumi's shield, "I just gotta know real quick. Are you the Shield Hero?"

"What's it to you if I am," questioned Naofumi with a raised eyebrow. Raphtalia was going to speak out about her master's rudeness, but Darius stopped her by stepping forward with an outstretched hand.

"Darius Saxon," he said, "though in this world I'm apparently known as the Armory Hero."

"Armory Hero?" repeated Naofumi with an obvious hint of disbelief in his voice, "there are only supposed to be four cardinal heroes. Not to mention, you look pretty bare as far as weapons go, did you forget the armory at home?" The cardinal hero simply smiled at this as he held out his hand and conjured one of his new, magic iron axes.

"It's more precise to say that I am the armory," said Darius as he smirked a little at the surprise on Naofumi's face, "And if you're still not convinced, well I've been wanting to try something for a while now." The Armory Hero returned his ax to his inventory and concentrated his vision on his fellow hero's shield. To his pleasant surprise, the weapon copy system responded with a positive notification. "Here goes, REPLICA!"

A green light glowed on Darius's right arm for a moment before forming into a copy of Naofumi's shield, with the main difference being that his shield was darker with a white jewel instead of a green one. "What, but how?" Questioned the Shield Hero, now unable to hide his own surprise at this stranger's odd abilities.

"It's like I said, I'm the Armory Hero," repeated Darius as he held up his left arm, "Like you, I was called here from another world, but unlike you, I don't have a primary weapon. Instead I use these bands to store, summon, and replicate weapons, though the replicas aren't quite as good as the original." Naofumi seemed to consider this for a moment, muttering something under his breath about more lies from the trash king. "Anyway, do you happen to know where the other three heroes are, I kinda need to locate them and the dragon's hourglass as soon as possible before the wave hits."

"I don't know and I don't honestly care where those three are," said Naofumia as he turned to walk off.

"But we are going to the dragon's hourglass," said Raphtalia hastily, "You two should come along."

"Well I'm not letting you just walk off after finally finding you again," said Rifana before leaning in and whispering to Raphtalia, "Plus, I want to hear what it's like working with the Shield Hero." The raccoon girl rolled her eyes a bit and beckoned them to follow her. Naofumi didn't protest the two of them coming along, but his mood was still a bit sour. Then again, Darius couldn't blame him as he looked around, noting the tense atmosphere of the town as a large number of guards marched from one place to another down the street.

As it turned out, the hourglass was contained inside a massive church with a tell-tale ornate window below the red roof. What made it stand out, however, were the three spires extending from the top of the church, all of which were shaped like a bunch of triangles stacked on top of each other. 'Well that's definitely fantasy style right there,' thought the Armory Hero as they entered. A nun wearing white robes greeted them with a neutral expression and showed them to the hourglass, which resided within the center of the church. It didn't escape the Armory Hero's notice that she was wearing the rosary of the Three Heroes Church.

"Please step over here," said the nun as she showed them the entrance. The party of four moved forward as a number of metal stairs rose up mechanically to allow them entry. A collection of gasps and one low whistle from Darius could be heard as they gazed upon the device for counting down the waves. As said, it was indeed an hourglass, but it rose at least twenty to thirty feet in the air and was held up by a golden frame with two dragon statues constantly rotating around it. It was also decorated with four red jewels on the top, sides, and bottom of the hourglass.

"So this is what they use to measure the countdown to the waves," said Naofumi as they stepped forward. A burst of light suddenly emitted from his shield and Darius's bands then as two beams shot from their respective legendary weapons into the center of the hourglass. A timer appeared at the tops of their HUDs with a countdown reading twenty hours and twelve minutes.

"Well that helps," said Darius, "It'd be a pain if we had to keep coming back here to check the time."

"No kidding," agreed Naofumi, "But if this thing is right, we don't have that much time left before the wave hits." The Armory Hero nodded at this before an unfamiliar voice cut across the room.

"Is that you up there Naofumi?" said the voice as everyone turned to see a blond guy whose hair was in a ponytail. He was also wearing relatively fancy armor with a red cape. But the detail that stuck out most to Darius was the spear on his shoulder. "You still aren't fighting with flimsy armor like that are you?" 'Well don't we have an ego,' thought the Armory Hero.

"Do you know these people master Naofumi," questioned Raphtalia. The only response she got was the Shield Hero gritting his teeth. He clearly wasn't happy seeing this person.

"Just a shot in the dark here," said Darius, "but are you the Spear Hero by chance?"

"Huh," said Motoyasu as he finally noticed the three other people in the room, "Oh yeah, the one and only. I'm surprised you don't recognize me, are you new in town?"

"Just got in only a couple of hours ago actually," said Darius in the neutral polite tone he'd adopted years ago when talking to strangers.

"Well that's a relief," said Motoyasu, "I was worried you were some mercenary Naofumi hired for a party member."

"What in the world is he-," Darius was about to ask Naofumi until he noticed the Shield Hero had already started walking off with an air of utter irritation, ignoring the comment from a red-headed girl that Motoyasu was talking to him. He didn't get far, though, as another pair of newcomers suddenly blocked his way. One wore a black and white outfit with dark, spiked shoulder armor on his right shoulder and a blue scarf around his neck. His face reminded Darius of another character he'd seen in an anime with his black hair and blue eyes. 'Hello discount Kirito,' he thought while noting the legendary sword on his back.

The second newcomer was a little shorter with yellow eyes and curly blond hair, wearing a brown and white outfit with a green cape on his right shoulder and armor on his left shoulder. His weapon was a legendary bow, which was also hanging from his back. 'And that's four for four in finding all the heroes, not bad.' But something was off about the whole situation. Naofumi seemed beyond ticked to see the three of them and they didn't seem all that happy to see him either.

'What the heck kind of dynamic do these guys have going anyway?' Wondered Darius as he turned to Rifana and Raphtalia, only to frown as he noticed Motoyasu introducing himself to the raccoon girl. "An adorable thing like you shouldn't be wielding a sword," he said as he held onto one of Raphtalia's hands.

"Why are you complimenting a demi-human Sir Motoyasu?" Questioned the red-headed girl from Motoyasu's party that Darius had honestly forgotten was in the room. It's not that she wasn't pretty with her long red hair done up in a bushy ponytail and armor that left her shoulders and collar bone exposed. He'd just written her off as more of a groupie after her comment to Naofumi, and the Spear Hero hitting on Raphtalia wasn't helping in that regard.

"Because as a hero it's my sworn duty to protect such a fair maiden," said Motoyasu, "if you come along with me, I'll keep you safe from now o-WHOA HEY!" Thankfully his little performance was cut short as a certain weasel girl grabbed him by the neck of his armor and yanked him backwards, causing him to flail about on one foot as he struggled not to fall.

"I've always been one for a good romance," said Rifana, "But trust me when I say that Raphtalia isn't some weak little girl that needs your protection."

"Thank you Rifana," said Darius, "to say I was cringing just watching that is an understatement."

"Who do you think you are!" exclaimed the red-headed girl with a sneer, "You'd best call off your demi-human slave this instant!" 'Bad move,' thought the hero as he turned to the irritated party member.

"I mean I could've, if you hadn't just said that," he remarked as he pointed back to Rifana, who was now trembling in rage as her grip tightened on Motoyasu's armor.

"I," she said with a good bit of menace in her voice before suddenly grabbing and hoisting the Spear Hero over her head, "AM NO ONE'S SLAVE!" The weasel girl proceeded to toss a now screaming Motoyasu into his red-headed party member, knocking them both to the ground in a heap. "Raphtalia has already sworn her loyalty to the Shield Hero so you just back off!"

"What, that can't be true," said a confused Motoyasu, struggling to his feet as Rifana turned around in a huff and began to walk away.

"Actually it is," said Raphtalia, "I swore to fight side by side with master Naofumi."

"So tough luck," said Rifana, "Now let's get out of here Raphtalia, I'm starting to get nauseous."

"But you can't go with him," said Motoyasu to the raccoon girl, "Surely you've heard all the rumors! If you stay with him you'll only get hurt!" This comment was the last straw as Naofumi, who'd been quietly watching in irritation, finally stepped forward towards Motoyasu. But Darius intervened with a hand on his shoulder.

"Forget about it," said Darius, "It's obvious now he's more bark than bite and besides, we've got bigger problems coming our way." The Shield Hero looked like he wanted to argue this point, but in the end he simply turned and began walking out of the church, calling for Raphtalia who quickly followed behind him.

"Darius," said Rifana with a questioning look as she glanced between him and her retreating friend.

"You head on with them," said Darius, "I've got something I need to do here real fast then I'll catch up." The weasel girl nodded as she went after Naofumi and Raphtalia.

"We'd best be going as well," said the hero with the bow as he turned to leave.

"Before you do," said Darius, "Would you all mind answering a few questions for me?"

"I've wasted enough time here already," said the sword hero as he headed out of the church.

"Don't mind him, Ren's always like that," said the bow hero, "What is it you want to know?"

"The rumors," explained Darius, "I was wondering if there's even the slightest bit of validity to them."

"What, are you serious?" Questioned Motoyasu, "of course they're true. He tried to force himself on my party member after all, despite her joining up to help him! It was only by sheer luck that Myne managed to escape!"

"I'm assuming you mean the redhead right there," said Darius as he pointed to the girl.

"It was awful," she said, "he came bursting into my room in a drunken state and tried to have his way with me. I don't know how I managed to get away but as soon as I did I ran straight to Sir Motoyasu."

"The king's guards also further confirmed her story," said the bow hero, "they found her nightgown torn to shreds in the room at the inn her and Naofumi were sleeping at."

"I see," said Darius as he put a hand to his chin, "You must be a tough girl then. Most victims of sexual assault are horrified by the very memory of their attackers, let alone being in the same room as them."

"If you'd seen the state she was in when the guards brought Naofumi to the castle, you'd be just as upset as we were," said Motoyasu, "What was worse, the guy not only acted like he had no idea why he was being arrested, he claimed that Myne had stolen the chain-mail she'd given to me as a gift."

"Hold on a second," said the Armory Hero, "she got you a gift the same day she was assaulted? What sort of state was she in when she came to you?"

"Weren't you listening," said an annoyed Motoyasu, "she was crying, distraught and fearing for her life."

"I wasn't talking about just her mental state," said Darius, "What was she wearing when she came to you for help? Surely a womanizer like you can remember a detail like that."

"Oh, well, uh," said the Spear Hero as he took a moment to think, "The same armor she has on now, but why's that important?"

"Because it just seems curious," explained the cardinal hero, "According to the both of you, she should've been scared out of her mind and fearing for her life. So at what point would it occur to her to get dressed in the middle of fleeing an attacker? Is modesty more important than safety in this kingdom or is she simply skilled at getting dressed while running for her life?"

"What exactly are you implying," said Myne with a glare.

"I'm saying that if you seriously look at the story concocted here, something doesn't add up," explained Darius, "It becomes even more suspect if you factor in that the major religion of this country is known as the Three Heroes church. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that someone is lying."

"How dare you!" exclaimed Myne as she stepped forward and pointed an accusing finger at him, "That shield carrying villain is nothing more than a monster! I tried to help him when he arrived and he repaid me by trying to force himself on me! This whole country would be better off if he hadn't been summoned in the first place!"

Whatever effect the girl thought her outburst was going to have on the Armory Hero, him smirking was clearly not one of them. "I never said you were the one who was lying," Darius pointed out, "Anyway, I need to get going before I'm left behind. See you all at the wave." The cardinal hero turned on his heel then and proceeded out of the church, his small triumph overshadowed only by the fact that his first impression of the other cardinal heroes, was not great.

Dining Area of Local Inn: A Short Time Later

Darius had been slightly worried he'd taken too long with his little conversation, but Rifana had planned ahead and asked Raphtalia which Inn they happened to be staying at. Though what should've been a happy mood was being rained on by Naofumi's currently pissy attitude and the disappointing meeting with the other heroes. "So I take it you weren't really given a trial were you," said Darius as he stuck some mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"It's not really any of your business," replied Naofumi, who didn't seem to have much of an appetite at the moment. Rifana and Raphtalia were eating their meals relatively slowly, not really sure what to say in the current situation.

"Are you sure," said Darius, "Because the wave hits tomorrow morning and if this crap gets in the way in the field we could all die."

"I'll be fine," said Naofumi, "You're better off worrying about yourself and Rifana. Come to think of it, why are you two still hanging around us? If you haven't noticed, I don't have the most stirring reputation in this town."

"Two simple reasons, well three but we'll get to that one," said Darius as he raised a couple of fingers, "One: the other heroes have got more than enough members in their parties already judging by what I've seen so far. And two: you might not be the most pleasant person to be around, but you're not an arrogant jack wagon or a moron that just accepts stuff without thinking twice. I know you don't want to tell me what happened when you arrived at the kingdom but I'm gonna take a guess at the other hero's reactions: They didn't even question whether or not you were innocent, they just flat out believed you did what that red head said you did."

"Figure that out yourself did you," said Naofumi with a look of indifference on his face.

"Yes, and I'm quite proud of myself," said Darius with an overzealous smile before his face returned to neutral, "Or at least I would be more proud if I didn't get a heads up about the bullshit on the way in."

"Well if you want to avoid more of it, you'd do best to avoid me," said Naofumi, "after all, cardinal weapons repel each other."

"So I've heard," said the Armory Hero with a dismissive wave, "But as I keep saying, we're all fighting the wave tomorrow and you have once again proven that you're the better choice to hang around."

"And just how did I prove that?" Questioned the Shield Hero with a raised eyebrow.

"The fact that you even bothered to mention that hanging around with you was a bad idea," The college student pointed out, "If you really didn't care, you wouldn't have warned me."

"You seem pretty confident I'm some sort of a nice guy," said Naofumi, "But you've got me pegged wrong."

"Oh in this case it's the other way around I believe," said Darius as he leaned forward with his chin on his hands, "or could you tell just by looking at me that I've already killed over twenty people since I arrived here?" This got the Shield Hero's attention as he looked up with widened eyes. "Judging by your reaction, I'd guess the answer is no, but before you freak out I should let you know they were all pieces of human filth. And you don't have to take my word for it either, just ask them."

The Armory Hero indicated Raphtalia and Rifana. "It's true," said Raphtalia, rather quietly, "I met Darius right before I was shipped off to the slave trader who sold me to you. He discovered us in the cells below the mansion of a man named Idol Rabier, he…used to torture us."

"But thanks to Darius here, he's been put out of business," said Rifana, "he laid waste to the majority of his guards and freed us from the cells. But the one who put a dagger in his throat over and over again until he finally died was me."

"You did all that," said Naofumi with a look on his face that said he was thinking rather deeply.

"The best part about the whole thing was Rabier originally invited me to his mansion after I protected his carriage from monsters," explained the Armory Hero, "He actually was willing to pay me to end your life after seeing what I could do. So the way I see it, you need all the friends you can get right now and besides, after seeing the care you've given Raphtalia, I at least owe you the benefit of the doubt, and dinner." Darius conjured a few pieces of silver in his hand and laid them down on the table. Naofumi looked at the money with the same skeptical look in his eyes, but now his expression was more neutral, as if he was deciding on something.

"Tell me," said the Shield Hero after a moment, "Did you take a huge haul from that noble?"

"Ransacked his vault right before confronting him about the children," answered Darius, "So why don't we start over with a proper introduction. I'm Darius Saxon, the Armory Hero, pleased to make your acquaintance." Naofumi sighed at this, but at long last the four of them were able to get an actual conversation going, swapping stories well into the night before finally turning in. In no uncertain terms, it appeared the Shield Hero finally had at least a couple more allies, even if he still didn't entirely trust one of them.

Castle Town: Day of the Wave

If yesterday seemed tense around the city, then it was beyond palpable today as Darius and Rifana walked out of the Inn. He would've been out a bit sooner, but he thought it best to let his partner get just a little bit more rest, especially given how quickly she was able to get her gear together nowadays. As they looked around the street, it was impossible to miss the mass of adventurers who'd been pouring in from the last few days. All of them sported varying outfits from armor, to robes, capes and even witch hats, as well as just about every weapon Darius could think of.

But the two they were looking for were standing just to the side of the street, watching the sun rise. Well, it was more correct to say that Naofumi was watching the sun rise while Raphtalia appeared to be making a rather heartfelt declaration, one which neither Rifana nor Darius dared to interrupt. The Shield Hero and the raccoon sword girl turned towards their new allies then as the Armory Hero gave a thumbs up and Rifana nodded her head. The time for talking had passed as the timer finally reached zero and the sky turned red. But what happened next, none of them expected.

A sudden bright light surrounded them as the area seemed to disappear in a flash. 'I know what's happening,' Darius realized as he felt the familiar sensation of being whisked away, 'we're being teleported!' His fears were quickly confirmed as they all reappeared in a forested area no one recognized, looking all around the new location in confusion. 'So there's no getting out and no running, which means only one thing.' "I guess it's time to get this fight started," said the Armory Hero as he conjured a one-handed ax.

"Look up there," said Raphtalia as she pointed towards the sky. Sure enough, a massive piece of what appeared to be red energy was floating through the air with what appeared to be numerous blue whirlpools dotted all around it.

"So that's the wave of catastrophe," said Naofumi as he readied his shield. Everyone else did the same with their weapons as they leapt down off a rocky crevice and began running forward. As the group advanced, the blue whirlpools started releasing numerous dark shapes which swarmed down like bats towards the area beneath the wave. It didn't take long for anyone to realize that these dark shapes were all monsters, specifically giant hornets larger than Darius's head, accompanying undead soldiers of varying shapes and sizes wearing different variations of dark armor. "I'll take point, so you'd best have some good tricks up your sleeves."

"I got one that might work," replied Darius as he opened up a four foot wide portal over his head, "let's start with Arrow Storm!" The skill activated on command and unleashed a torrent of thirty arrows in a barrage style attack, wiping out a number of the hornets and even taking out a couple of the undead soldiers. Naofumi followed up with a skill of his own as three undead soldiers closed in on him.

"Air Strike Shield!" He called as a large, glowing green shield appeared in front of him, repulsing the attacks of the undead, "Now Raphtalia!" The raccoon girl took the signal and leapt in behind the zombies, quickly decapitating all three.

"Rifana you're up," said Darius as he summoned his clawed chains against two shield and sword zombies. The weasel girl raced past him as the chain hands yanked the shields from the undead soldiers, giving her a clear opening to smash one in the chest with her mace and send it flying into its partner. She then turned around and held her mace horizontally. "Raphtalia, Darius." The two complied as they ran forward, each jumping off the mace one after the other before splitting open another couple of zombies with their respective weapons. The weasel girl then turned to face another four soldiers who'd surrounded her.

"Shield Prison!" called Naofumi as a number of green shields and some chains formed around Rifana, causing all of the undead weapons to bounce off. The skill deactivated to reveal a smirking Rifana as she swung low in a circle, breaking off all of their legs. Raphtalia and Darius came in and assisted her in finishing them off via head smashing and decapitation.

"Well that's a start," said Darius, noting that the flow of monsters was still coming. Another problem arose then as a signal flare was fired into the air.

"That's not good," said Rifana, "that flare means villagers are still in this area, but why?"

"Down there," Raphtalia said as she pointed in the distance, "that's the village of Lute. They must not have been able to evacuate in time."

"Or they think just calling for help will be enough," said Naofumi with a hint of annoyance in his voice as he seemed to be wrestling with a decision, "But even if the castle's not that far, there won't be anything left to save by the time the knight's get here."

"It might not matter whether we defend it or not. If this wave works the way we've been told, then we'll need to find and defeat a boss monster," Darius said, "Otherwise the small monsters might just keep coming." The Shield Hero took all of this information in before making a decision.

"We're splitting up," he said, "Darius, you go and make sure that boss is taken care of. Raphtalia and I will go protect the village."

"Got it," said the Armory Hero as he turned to his companion, "Rifana, you go with them."

"But what about you?" She questioned with a note of concern in her voice.

"I'll be backing up the other heroes, so I should be fine," Darius explained, "Naofumi and Raphtalia are gonna need all the help they can get saving the civilians down there, so go." She still didn't look convinced, but offered no further argument as she turned and headed off after her childhood friend and the Shield Hero. 'Now I just need to figure out a way to get there quickly,' thought Darius as he managed to spot the telltale signs of another battle happening in the distance and took off running towards it. But a slight issue blocked his way in the form of more zombie soldiers and giant hornets.

'Imitator,' thought the Armory Hero as he summoned his mask and a couple of daggers. Knowing he had no time to waste, Darius leapt, dodged around and rolled past most of the incoming enemies, cutting them down only when he was able to do so without breaking stride. But as he feared, the monsters kept coming and his progress was far too slow for his liking. 'I've got one attack which might be able to get through these guys and get me there faster,' he mused while sliding between the legs of an especially large zombie, 'but it's also gonna suck because it's the strongest and most disorienting move I've got.'

His decision was made for him, however, as another group of zombie soldiers with three large cleaver wielders in the back stepped out of the trees to block his way. "Screw it," the Armory Hero said as he disabled his mask, "Phalanx series: Rolling Armory Shell!" Multiple portals opened up around him then as he floated into the air slightly, allowing a mass of weapons and shields to gather together in the form of what amounted to a boulder with numerous sharp weapons pointed outwards. It was the most powerful move he had in his arsenal at the moment, one that put a fair drain on his mana. But that wasn't the only reason he seldom used it.

"Here goes," he said from the center of the boulder as it began rolling forward at an incredible speed, smashing and skewering anyone or anything moronic enough to get in his path. It was an effective move, especially given that while it was active, Darius still had awareness of the area outside and a bit of control over the direction of the weapons as they barreled through the trees and into the area where the boss was waiting. The downside, he was still spinning forward while inside the sphere of weapons, which didn't do so well for one's stomach. 'I'm gonna hurl if this goes on for much longer,' he thought with an increasingly queasy feeling in his stomach.

As luck would have it that was the moment when his attack finally hit a brake, in the form of the wave's boss monster. Darius felt himself go flying through the air as the sphere came apart, revealing the main enemy to be a chimera of sorts with a lion, goat and some kind of dragon's head. He also caught sight of the three heroes and their party as he shifted the weapons around the air to form underneath him. 'I didn't think I'd actually get to use this move, but a good entrance is a good entrance.'

The cardinal hero landed then and took a seat on the makeshift throne he'd brought together on an upraised, rocky outcropping. "Hey," said Motoyasu as the rest of the heroes looked questioningly at his arrival, "what in the world do you think you're doing?!"

"It just occurred to me that while I've been introducing myself a lot lately, I never told all of you," said Darius as he sat back in a seemingly confident posture, "I am he who sits upon a throne of weapons, the Armory Hero Darius Saxon at your service!"

**At last the heroes have been found! And none too soon as the wave of catastrophe is upon them. Hello everyone, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and hopefully some of the issues I've had with rushing the story were addressed in this chapter. If not, feel free to let me know in a comment or review as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Oh and one more thing, I'm thinking of doing some reader shout outs so thank you VladImpaler for the idea about the throne of weapons and thank you Noble Eight for suggesting the story idea and character in the first place. Let me know what you think of this idea everyone. Drop in next time as Darius reveals his abilities to the other cardinal heroes. 'Til then. **


	7. Duel at the Banquet

**Duel at the Banquet**

Forest Outside of Lute Village

Darius's entrance did indeed have quite the effect on the other heroes, or at the very least it managed to get a few surprised statements. "Armory Hero," said the Bow Hero, who Darius learned yesterday was named Itsuki, "there's no hero like that, otherwise you'd have been summoned with the rest of us."

"And what are you trying to pull with a flashy entrance like that anyway," said Motoyasu. 'Truthfully,' thought Darius, 'I'm just buying a bit of time for my head to stop spinning.' Though the Armory Hero didn't say this out loud, instead pointing to the boss of the wave.

"I think we'd best discuss this after we put down ugly over there," said Darius as everyone noticed the boss had gotten back on its feet.

"I quite agree," said Ren as he changed his sword to a curved blade, "Airstrike Slash!" A miniature tornado swirled around the Sword Hero's blade as he let loose a slicing attack which rammed into the side of the boss, causing it to roar in pain. 'Time to get back in this,' though Darius as he leapt off the outcropping, willing the remaining weapons that made up his throne to fire at the boss while his shields retreated. The small assault landed on the monster's right wing, causing it to roar again as it turned its attention back to the Armory Hero, who donned his Imitator mask and slid in underneath and slashed the front left leg with his daggers.

The three-headed beast attempted to swat at its underside, but Motoyasu rushed in with an attack of his own. "Chaos Spear!" His weapon shifted into a more jagged form as a barrage of yellow bolts assaulted his target, which just so happened to be where Darius was as well.

"Hey watch where you're aiming that," said the Armory Hero as he just managed to roll out of the way of the attack in time.

"It's not like I was aiming for you," commented Motoyasu as Itsuki stepped forward with the next attack.

"Airstrike shot!" called the Bow Hero as he let loose a wind-infused arrow. But like Motoyasu, he misjudged the blast radius of the attack and Darius was thrown to the ground by the resulting impact. 'Have these morons never heard of the phrase 'friendly fire' before,' he wondered as he rolled back over. Ren was about to step up with an attack of his own but the chimera charged forward with a roar into the middle of the whole group, forcing them all to scatter as it swiped, lunged and breathed fire at whoever was in the vicinity.

"Phantom Chain Binding!" Called Darius as he summoned a number of chains with both clawed hands and spikes to wrap around the boss, holding it in place. "I can't hold this thing for long, so hit it all at once while it can't move!"

"That just goes without saying," commented Ren as he shifted his sword back to its original state before summoning a large flame around the blade, "Crimson Blade!"

"Wind Arrow!" Called Itsuki as he hit it with a very quick follow up attack.

"I'll finish this now!" Declared Motoyasu as his spear changed into a lighting style head, "Lightning spear!" The three attacks impacted with a good deal of force as the chimera gave one last defiant roar before collapsing to the ground in a bloody heap. Shortly after that, the wave floating above their heads disappeared, signaling the end of the attack. Everyone gathered around the corpse of the monster while Darius picked himself up off the ground and brushed the dust off of his armor. "Well that wasn't so bad, real walk in the park."

"It was relatively easy," commented Ren as he sheathed his sword on his back.

"And very likely the next one will be easy as well," added Itsuki as he hung his bow on his back.

"Yeah, hate to rain on everyone's parade," said Darius, "But this was technically only round two as far as the waves go. Each one is supposed to be worse than the last, which means the next one's gonna be tougher. So please try to improve your aim and your bad penchant for friendly fire before then."

"Ah come on dude, lighten up," said Motoyasu as put his spear on his shoulder, "we won and none of our attacks actually hit you."

"Well next time you charge in first and I'll rain a barrage on you, how's that sound," said Darius as he took note of Ren picking up a piece of the chimera. "Hey, what are you up to over there?"

"I'm adding the material of the chimera to my weapon," explained Ren as he picked up a piece of its fur and dropped it into the jewel on his sword, "If you really are who you claim to be, you should already know that adding materials to your weapon makes it stronger."

"Well I'm still figuring a lot of this stuff out," said Darius as he picked up a piece of fur and attempted to add it to the jewel on his band. Surprisingly, it did indeed absorb the material as a notification popped up on his HUD: Fire Chain ability unlocked. "Now that might come in handy." He also noted that another notification informing him that his Auto-Store ability had increased to the next level. It was now picking up weapons from fallen enemies, which meant he'd obtained a large compliment of weapons from the undead he managed to kill. "Not bad, I'd best take some of this stuff to Naofumi."

"Yeah where is that guy anyway," questioned Motoyasu.

"Oh who cares," said Myne as she grabbed onto the Spear Hero, "He would've been dead weight anyway and this whole fight wouldn't have been near as much fun."

"Fun?" Questioned Darius, "Naofumi, Raphtalia and Rifana aren't here right now because the village of Lute back there failed to evacuate its people in time. They've been risking their lives fighting off a continuous stream of undead monsters that keep spawning so long as the boss remains. Are you telling me you were jacking around instead of finishing this thing off before I got here?"

"Hey man, chill out," said Motoyasu as he raised his hands up defensively, "It's not like the boss was able to hang around for that long, so no harm no foul." The Armory Hero could feel his frustration building until a group of knights suddenly came running into the area.

"Heroes," said the captain of the guards, a man with a small mustache and a red plume on his helmet, as he stopped to catch his breath, "I see you managed to slay the beast, that's fine work."

"So it seems the knights have finally shown up," commented Ren as he glanced at the chimera's corpse, "thanks for all the 'help.'"

"Now there's no need to be like that," said the captain as he motioned to follow him, "his majesty has prepared rewards for all of you. So, shall we be on our way?"

"Question," said Darius as he stepped forward, "a flare was sent up from the village of Lute. Please tell me the reason you were late was because you were holding off the undead horde."

"We did happen to pass through a village getting attacked," said the captain, "no need to worry, we wiped all of them out."

"And the Shield Hero and his companions, what about them," questioned the cardinal hero further.

"Oh him," said the captain, "Yeah he was there I suppose but he wasn't much help."

"I'm sure," said Darius as he walked past the Captain. Though Ren spoke up before he got too far.

"Darius," said Ren, "this isn't over. I expect you to explain to us in detail if you really are a cardinal hero."

"Sure thing, but later," said the Armory Hero as he waved back, "I need to go make sure my partner and friends are safe right now, so see ya." He broke into a jog then as he headed back in the direction from which he came. It took a few minutes, but eventually he managed to make it to Lute, or at least what was left of it.

None of the buildings appeared to have escaped being damaged, with broken windows being the least amount of damage to houses that had been completely demolished. The college student also noticed numerous scorch marks from what were probably fires and the smell of receding smoke in the air. A number of the villagers were also injured and currently having their wounds looked at. Though the most sobering sight of all was seeing some people praying over the graves of their recently buried loved ones. But there appeared to be one bright spot as he turned a corner, passing another complement of guards as he did so.

Standing near the edge of the village was Naofumi, Raphtalia and Rifana, all thankfully alive and no worse for wear by the looks of it. But what made the sight surprising was the large collection of villagers all bowing to them in thanks, though Naofumi was doing his whole 'I'm not a nice guy' routine again as he turned away from the village elder commenting 'whatever.' The cardinal hero waited until they'd all dispersed to approach them. "Darius!" said an excited Rifana as she came bounding over upon noticing her party member, "You're alright."

"Yeah somehow," replied the Armory Hero, "though I'm not sure who I was more in danger from, the monster or the other heroes. What about you?"

"The Shield Hero might not be able to fight conventionally," said Rifana, "But he's figured all kinds of ways around that, and between me and Raphtalia even the stronger monsters didn't stand a chance, especially when we rallied the villagers."

"So no problems to speak of, that's good," said Darius as he rubbed his partner lovingly on the head.

"Well there was that gaggle of knights led by that useless captain," commented the weasel girl, "Sure his knights cleared out a good section of the monsters, but if not for Naofumi we would've been caught in the attack too. We're just lucky some of his men have more honor than he did, because he cut and run the moment he realized we were doing a better job."

"Ah I knew that guy was a prick," said Darius as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "that's it, from this point on I'm just gonna assume anyone with a little mustache is likely a pain in the ass. Makes me glad I didn't take the invitation to the castle."

"We have to go," said Naofumi suddenly as he and Raphtalia finished another conversation they were having.

"What," said Darius and Rifana at the same time, "why would we go there? Not only do I not have anything decent to wear, but the other three heroes will also be there and we know how well all of you get along."

"The king promised a reward to each of us for fighting the waves," explained Naofumi, "trust me the last place I want to go right now is there. But we'll need the money if we're gonna get better gear, not to mention food and lodging."

"I don't think you realize just how much I managed to steal from Rabier," said Darius, "I think we'll at least make it through the month if we don't buy anything outrageous."

"I do appreciate it," said Naofumi, "But you can't be blowing everything feeding and arming four people, especially given that we'll likely have to split up every now and then. So the more money we get now, the better." Darius simply sighed, seeing that the Shield Hero wouldn't be dissuaded from this.

"Alright, fine," said the Armory Hero as he crossed his arms, "I guess I'll go along for the food. But for the record, I still think this is a bad idea."

"No kidding," said Naofumi as they began the trek back into the capital.

Castle of the Queen and King of Melromarc: That Night

The castle of the rulers of Melromarc sat on top of a rocky plateau which allowed it to look out over the rest of the capital. As expected it was a massive, ornate structure made out of fine stone with several towers reaching towards the sky. It also had a large number of windows, each of which had a light on as guests from all over the capital came to celebrate the hero's victory over the wave. The celebration itself was held in a massive banquet hall with two floors, both of which were set up with tables holding just about any kind of medieval, and some fantasy, food that one could imagine.

Despite getting themselves cleaned up, the group of four still felt rather out of place among the other nobles, chiefs, adventurers and guards currently crowding the hall and gossiping away at recent events. The mood was set by a number of ladies in simple pink dresses, all of whom were strumming lutes with either a bow or their fingers. They stood in a formation leading up both sides of the main staircase which went up to the main table. It was there that Darius got his first good look at King Aultcray Melromarc XXXII, who was sitting at the head of the table looking out over all of his guests.

He was an old man with a mane of grey hair spilling down the back of his neck and a trimmed grey beard on his face. His purple robes were clearly quite expensive with some kind of animal fur hanging off the shoulders. If any doubts as to his station were left, they were quickly put to rest by the gold crown with a purple jewel in the center which rested on top of his head. "Thanks to the hero's splendid performance, the battle against this latest wave has been won!" declared the king as he held up his goblet for a toast, "So tonight we shall celebrate and may you all enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"

The gathered crowd all raised their glasses as they cheered in agreement. Well everyone except for Naofumi, who'd found himself a little corner on the upper floor by the window. 'He wasn't kidding when he said he didn't want to be here,' thought Darius as he ate some of the food off a plate, 'but the least he could do is partake in the free cuisine.' Rifana and Raphtalia were standing and eating with him while making the occasional bit of conversation. The two of them seemed to be enjoying themselves the most out of the four of them, which was understandable given the circumstances they'd come from.

"So do ya think they'll throw a party like this after every wave?" Questioned Rifana as she chomped on what appeared to be a large bit of chicken, "Because I could get used to this."

"If you don't mind a bunch of boasting adventurers and guards," said Darius when a thought occurred to him. "By the way Raphtalia, are you really sure you need that crest anymore?"

"Oh this," said the raccoon girl as she indicated her slave crest, "I hardly notice I even have it now. Master Naofumi used it a few times when I was too scared to fight, but now that I can it's basically just a marking."

"Even so," said Darius, "I know he's been treating you well, that much is obvious and it's the only reason I didn't press the issue yesterday. But if it's not really useful anymore, I could probably buy a couple drops of the potion for dissolving it."

"I appreciate the offer Darius," said Raphtalia with a friendly smile, "But it's really no problem. I'm honestly happier than I've been in a long time."

"And you're not just saying that because of the crest?" Questioned the Armory Hero with a raised eyebrow, only to get quickly thumped on the back of his head by Rifana.

"You know that's not how they work," said Rifana, "I know her better than anyone and she's being one hundred percent sincere. Come to think of it, is it really her crest you're staring at?"

"I wasn't staring at anything," said Darius, "she just showed it to me of her own volition."

"Are you sure," said Rifana as she quirked her an eyebrow.

"Even if I was, so what," defended the Armory Hero, "you're not jealous are you?"

"What, why would you say that," said the weasel girl as her face turned a bit red, "I'm just looking out for her."

"I'm sure he wasn't doing anything of the sort Rifana," said Raphtalia as she picked up a plate with apple pie, "I'll be back in a bit. Naofumi needs to eat too after all." The raccoon girl disappeared into the crowd then with her two friends watching her leave.

"You think Naofumi ever stares at her?" Questioned Darius in a whisper.

"Let's just talk about something else for a while," sighed Rifana. Unfortunately, the next topic wasn't quite as fun as Ren and Itsuki suddenly walked up to them.

"So is it true," said Ren, "are you a real cardinal hero, or some pretender?"

"Well I got transported here from another world," explained Darius, "I was living in America when I ducked into a library to avoid some drones one night. Picked up a book and boom, the next thing I know I'm in a weapons-filled tomb in the middle of some ancient ruins."

"But why does everyone else say there are only four cardinal heroes," Itsuki pointed out, "none of the legends we've heard mention an Armory Hero."

"Well the role of Armory Hero isn't filled quite as often as the other four heroes," said Darius, "the last one appeared over two centuries ago from what I've heard and there originally wasn't even an Armory Hero to begin with. The position, I suppose we can call it, was created when the other four heroes gave a mystical traveler some of their power in order to thank him for getting them out of a sticky situation and to save his life."

"I suppose that makes sense to a degree," said Ren with a hand on his chin, "the king did mention the summoning ritual used ancient magic. By the sound of it, they weren't entirely sure how it all worked."

"There ya go," said the Armory Hero, "For all we know there could be even more heroes that no one knows about. Not only that, it's possible some secrets are being kept from us. When you guys arrived, did you notice any-what in the world?" His attention had been caught by a crowd that had suddenly gathered near the window where Naofumi had been camping out. For whatever reason, Motoyasu was standing over there and it didn't look like they were having a pleasant conversation. "Excuse me for a bit."

The cardinal hero moved over and pushed his way through the crowd. Rifana came along with him, likely noticing that Raphtalia was in the middle of the mess as well. "What in the world's going on over here," he asked as he managed to get to the front of the crowd and saw that Motoyasu was pointing his spear at Naofumi.

"Nothing we need to worry about," said Naofumi with a dismissive tone.

"Quit acting like this isn't a big deal," said the Spear Hero as he turned his attention on Darius, "And you, did you know Raphtalia was a slave?"

"That's what this is about," said Darius, "I already talked this over with her and the answer basically was 'no it's not a big deal'."

"And how do you know she isn't being forced to lie about her circumstances," said Motoyasu, "I heard about the slave crests and how they work."

"Because I'd know if she was lying," said Rifana as she stepped up next to Darius, "I've known Raphtalia my whole life, so I can tell just by the look in her eyes that she isn't suffering like you seem to think she is."

"But you can't honestly think it's okay to keep her as a slave," said Motoyasu, "We're heroes, we're supposed to be better than that."

"And maybe it wouldn't be this way if those bullshit rumors hadn't been spread," said Darius, "What choice did he have in the end when no one else wanted to fight with him. You'd be singing a different tune if you knew what sort of condition she was in before Naofumi found her."

"But still," Motoyasu started to say before he was cut off by Naofumi.

"Just stop being an idiot," said the Shield Hero as he stood up, "I'm not fighting you and that's the end of it." He got up to take his leave with Raphtalia right behind him. Darius simply shrugged as he and Rifana followed along, mostly because they didn't want any further trouble. Truthfully, at least one of them should've suspected it wasn't going to be that easy. Naofumi had only made it about halfway down the stairs when one of the guards blocked his way.

"It has been brought to my attention that you've been using a slave to fight for you," said the king as he stood up from his table, "It is reprehensible for a hero to do such a thing." 'Didn't we just finish having this conversation, twice now,' thought Darius as he felt his opinion of the king, which wasn't enormously high in the first place, sink like a stone. "Therefore, I hereby order you to accept Master Motoyasu's challenge!"

"Wait," said Raphtalia, "there's no need to fight, I'm with Master Naofumi of my own fr-." But she was stopped from speaking by a guard that slipped past Rifana and Darius who grabbed her and covered her mouth. A rather bad move on his part.

"GET OFF HER!" raged Rifana, slamming a fist into the side of the guard's face. The blow was more than enough to force him to let go of his captive as the weasel girl followed up with a quick uppercut that sent him over the side of the stairs.

"Draw swords!" Ordered one of the guards as they all reached for their weapons.

"ENOUGH!" yelled Darius as he used Phantom Army to summon four portals with spears aimed just inches from the king's midsection. "You'd all better back off right now or his royal highness gets royally skewered. If you think I'm bluffing, ask Rifana what happened to the last noble that pissed me off."

"You would dare threaten the king of Melroma-AH!" The King's outburst was cut short by Darius quickly moving the spears even closer to him.

"Look your highness, this isn't the way I wanted the evening to go down," said Darius, "And this isn't the way I'd hoped to introduce myself either. But I think we're all ignoring the fact that there's a simple way to resolve all of this that doesn't involve feeding a guy's ego. Oh and I can't help but notice those swords are still drawn and don't think I don't see you two in the corner over there, Ren and Itsuki." Indeed the Bow Hero and the Sword Hero had drawn their own weapons and had them pointed at him from the other section of the stairs. But a stern look from Darius finally got most of them to put their weapons up.

"The Shield Hero has committed a violation against our customs," said the King, "for that, a punishment must be issued."

"Which part?" Questioned the Armory Hero, "Last I checked, you are one of the main lawmakers in this country and have made no move to declare slavery illegal despite the obvious abuses that happen every day! And don't pretend like you give a damn about demi-humans all of a sudden, I spent a week with a noble you banished to the far reaches of the country just for having good relations with them. So if you really want to appear like a reasonable king, why don't you listen to an alternative solution."

"And what sort of 'alternative' solution could you have that would insure all parties are dealt with fairly?" Questioned the King.

"Simply put," explained the cardinal hero, "we just remove Raphtalia's slave crest and ask her what she wants to do. Surely a king who cares so much would have the salve on hand for dissolving it and everyone here can act as a witness. It'll solve this little problem quick and without the need for two heroes fighting or us turning this place into a bloodbath."

"But that means Naofumi is just walking out of here with a slap on the wrist," complained Motoyasu, "You said this solution would be fair."

"Isn't it though," said Darius as he crossed his arms, "the choice of what to do is left up to Raphtalia, the supposed 'victim' in this ridiculous mess. If she's really being treated as poorly as you so idiotically believe then she'll leave and Naofumi will have lost his one and only official party member, which seems like more than enough for a punishment. But, if she chooses to stay with Naofumi after having the crest removed then it just proves that this whole farce was a waste of everyone's time. The only unfair thing about it is you don't get to play hero like you want to."

"Why you," seethed the Spear Hero until the Shield Hero himself spoke up about the idea.

"Forget it Darius," said Naofumi, "Even if the trash king agrees to the proposal, that bitch Myne will tamper with it in some way. If he wants a fight so bad, I'll take him on and I'm going to win."

"Seriously," said the Armory Hero as he retracted the weapons back into the portals, "You were the one who didn't want to fight in the first place, but okay, have it your way."

"Then it is decided," declared the king, "The Spear Hero and the Shield Hero shall duel this very night!"

Royal Arena: A Short Time Later

"So explain to me again why this is a better idea than what I was suggesting," said Darius as he and Naofumi waited in a small passageway lined with various weapons, mostly swords.

"I never said this was a better idea," replied the Shield Hero as he touched one of the swords experimentally, only to receive a shock and likely a warning on his HUD about weapon restrictions, "But this kingdom has had it out for me from day one. This is just another attempt to get at me, so we just have to deal with it."

"If we got the other two heroes to agree with the plan, it could've gone through whether the king liked it or not," said Darius, "He seems pretty eager to please the other three. But I got to ask, is that the only reason you didn't want to go through with my suggestion or is there something else you're not-."

"Like I said it doesn't matter," Naofumi insisted, "but I'm not letting them take Raphtalia away."

"Your show I suppose," said Darius as he grabbed some of the swords and stored them in his inventory, "but I'm taking a few of these. I doubt anyone will notice in all the excitement and if they do, well we'll call it payment for putting up with this nonsense in the first place."

"Just remember to keep an eye out," said Naofumi. Darius responded with a quick 'you got it' as the doors opened to reveal the stadium. It was also the signal for them to begin walking out into the arena. It was a large stone structure with two floors of covered seating, all supported by numerous columns. Obviously the King's was among the most spacious as he sat and watched with his advisors, and with Raphtalia and Rifana seated behind him.

It had been an absolute pain negotiating, but Rifana had agreed to stay under guard with Raphtalia as assurance that Darius wouldn't try anything funny. In exchange, he'd been allowed to stay on the ringside. The King didn't like it but Darius was able to convince Ren and Itsuki that if Myne was allowed to watch so close then so should he in order to insure no funny business was happening from either party. And he was watching the conniving redhead like a hawk as the announcer carried on. "This duel is being witnessed by his highness King Melromarc and his holiness the Pope and is thus official and legitimate."

'Pope huh,' the Armory Hero thought, sparing a glance at another box where a man dressed in white robes with a large hat and spectacles sat. 'That must be the leader of the Three Heroes church. So he's probably got that pleasant smile on his face because he's about to watch the Shield Hero get beat.' A slight smirk formed on Darius's face as the duel began, and Naofumi quickly repelled all of Motoyasu's initial attacks with some quick movements of his shield. 'He's going to be disappointed.'

The Spear Hero quickly changed tactics and managed to land a blow with his flurry attack, Chaos Spear, but it didn't keep Naofumi down long as he charged in around his weapon and delivered a gut punch with his shield. It didn't seem overly effective at first until Motoyasu realized he was being bitten by an orange balloon. As it turned out, Naofumi had found a use for the little critters by allowing them to attach to his body before leaping off and munching on the closest victim. It wasn't his only trick either as he switched his shield to a two-headed black dog style with two extending heads to ward off the Spear Hero's next attack.

He continued his counterattack with a combination of Air Strike Shield and Shield Prison, knocking Motoyasu back with one large green shield before imprisoning him in a sphere of shields and chains. The coup de grace, however, was not only had he trapped his opponent, but he'd also tossed a couple of his little orange friends in as well. Judging by the sound of pained shouting coming from the sphere, the little monsters were having quite a time chewing on his opponent. Darius was having such a hard time restraining himself from laughing that he hardly noticed the mocking from the crowd, who apparently thought a few insulting comments were gonna make a difference to anyone at this point.

"Alright then," said the Shield Hero as he released his prison on Motoyasu, "If you don't want to suffer more embarrassment, you'll surrender."

"What makes you think I'd surrender now," said The Spear Hero in a weakened voice. He'd been reduced to a weak looking kneeling position by the assault. It was obvious who would be the victor if things continued the way they were, except to Motoyasu it seemed. But this was more than acceptable for Naofumi as he held up a couple more of the orange monster balloons with a wicked smile on his face, planning to latch the next couple onto his opponents face or even more sensitive areas. But he didn't quite make it that far as Darius noticed a flash of red light at the other end of the arena.

'No you don't,' thought the Armory Hero as he cast his currently strongest defensive skill. "Phalanx Wall!" A collection of ten large shields of varying types appeared in front of Naofumi just in time as a massive blast of wind impacted against it, surprising both heroes as they glanced at Darius. "Finish this Naofumi, now!" The Shield Hero turned his attention back to his opponent just in time to block a barrage of strikes from his spear, managing to hold his ground if just barely. Motoyasu jumped back then as he held his weapon up high in preparation to use one of his skills.

"Lightning-," he started to say before Naofumi quickly shifted his shield to what appeared to be the face of a ram with horns sticking out.

"Ram shield!" shouted the cardinal hero as a massive ram's head shot forth and interrupted Motoyasu's attack by slamming straight into his face and sending him flying several feet away. He hit the ground pretty hard, groaning at what was likely the start of a rather mean headache. 'Whew, glad I managed to get that Chimera material to him,' thought the Armory Hero as he dispelled his Phalanx wall and let out a sigh. A murmuring broke out through the crowd as everyone waited to see if the Spear Hero would rise again.

He did indeed start moving again, but he couldn't stand properly at the moment as his head was clearly spinning. "You'd best call if ref," said Darius, "I don't think he'll be in any shape to fight for now."

"This is an outrage!" declared the King suddenly as he stood up from his throne and pointed at the Armory Hero. "The Shield Hero's lackey clearly interfered with the duel by use of his strange magic. The match must be forfeited."

"That's a load of garbage!" Yelled Naofumi, "He raised a wall next to us. How is that interfering in any way! I was more distracted by it than Motoyasu."

"Besides," said Darius as he pointed to Myne, "I know that more than a few people saw the bitch over there use wind magic. I prevented interference in what was supposed to be a fair duel. Naofumi won this fair and square!"

"I'll have no more lies in this arena from you or that criminal," declared the king, "This duel belongs to the Spear Hero!" A loud cheer erupted from the stands at this statement. It was at that moment when Darius realized just how against the Shield Hero the King was, and it made him angry.

"You insufferable, filthy, shit-stain!" Yelled Darius as he formed Itsuki's legendary bow with his replica ability. Needless to say a number of gasps followed as he pointed the darkened version of the weapon with a white jewel at the box where the king sat, energy flowing around the arrow as he pulled back the bowstring. It was a tense moment as everything seemed to become suddenly still, waiting for what would happen next. But then the Armory Hero's gaze drifted to right behind the King, where Rifana and Raphtalia were seated. It was their presence that made the decision for Darius as he lowered the weapon, but it was also the reason a small smirk had returned to his face.

"Darius," said Naofumi suddenly, "take care of Raphtalia for me. Because this kingdom won't."

"I think you should have a little more faith in her," said The Armory Hero as he watched the guards bring out the raccoon girl, "You might be surprised."

"Don't you get it!" yelled Naofumi, "the only reason she was with me in the first place was because I was her master! After seeing and hearing what the kingdom thinks of me, do you honestly believe she's just gonna stick around! I didn't come here by choice and yet these people want to see me fail and suffer all because of this blasted shield!"

Darius was about to argue that point until he noticed something strange about the stats on the legendary shield. It seemed to be reacting to his anger and frustration, almost as if it was feeding off of it. 'What the heck,' thought the Armory Hero as he tried and failed to get a read on the Stats. He only managed make out one phrase: 'Curse Series.' 'That can't be good.'

But the process, or whatever was happening, suddenly halted upon the sound of a very loud slap. The two heroes looked over to find that the moment Raphtalia had had her slave crest removed, she'd slapped Motoyasu across the face. "Are you so self-centered that you can't even fight fairly," said the raccoon girl to a clearly surprised Spear Hero.

"What's sort of thanks is that to give the man that just freed you," spat Myne.

"Don't you understand, I never asked to be freed," said Raphtalia, "Naofumi may have purchased me as a slave but I've remained with him by choice!"

"But wait a second," said Motoyasu, "Hasn't he been abusing you and treating you poorly?"

"Who told you that, the two-faced princess," said Rifana with her arms-crossed, "Like we said earlier, all you have to do is look to tell she isn't being abused. But you used what was between your legs instead of your eyes, never once bothering to ask her what she wanted."

"But Naofumi's not the kind of guy who'd-," the Spear Hero started to say, only for Raphtalia to pick up where she'd left off.

"He rescued me when I was sick and on the verge of death!" She exclaimed, "He fed me, gave me new clothes and medicines. He only ever used the crest when I was too scared to fight, in order to save both of our lives! He never asked me to do something I couldn't do, and I know he wouldn't make me fight if he could. But his Shield doesn't work that way, which is why we work as a team and fight together!"

"But that's the problem," said Motoyasu, basically grasping at straws now for an argument, "No one should be forced into a fight."

"Then what do you call all of this," said Rifana with her arms thrown up in the air, "Here we all are in an arena at a fight that Naofumi didn't want to be a part of, but had to anyway because the King made him do it after you challenged him. Darius offered a completely viable solution to the problem but you had to whine and moan because you thought he was getting off too easily. The real truth is you had it in your head that she'd come running into your arms and call you her hero for freeing her from the nasty villain. But the truth is, the only wrongs Naofumi has committed were the ones he was forced to commit because of all of you!"

"But I-," Motoyasu was truthfully at a loss for words. Likely because both girls had hit the nail on the head.

"I choose to stay and fight with Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia as she clenched a fist in front of her chest, "I don't care what anyone else says or thinks, or how dangerous it is. I swore to be his sword and I will follow him whether I have a crest or not. That is what I really want." This should've been the end of it, but as always Myne had something to say.

"Now hold on-," the red-headed harlot started to say before a commotion caught everyone's attention. Ren and Itsuki had walked out into the arena where the others were gathered.

"Sorry to say Myne, or rather Malty Melromarc," said Itsuki, "But we need to ask you about your illegal use of magic during the duel."

"Illegal use of magic," repeated Motoyasu, clearly confused at what he was hearing.

"Figures you wouldn't notice," said Rifana with her hands behind her head, "Did you seriously not hear why Darius raised that wall of shields earlier?"

"A powerful wind spell was fired at Naofumi during the duel," said Ren, "Darius wasn't lying when he said he prevented interference with that wall. Sorry to say Motoyasu, but you lost that duel."

"What, did you really Myne?" Questioned the Spear Hero. His obliviousness was becoming comical at this point.

"I'm certain they imagined it," said Myne, or rather Malty, smugly, "No one else seems to have seen anything."

"Because the King ordered them to look the other way," said Ren, "The nobles do, however, agree that foul play was used."

"That's just sad," said Rifana, "What's the point of declaring a duel sacred if even the Royals don't uphold the rules. Oh well, guess we'll just have to settle for this." The weasel girl slammed a fist into Myne's midsection, causing the princess to collapse onto the floor holding her stomach. "Let's go Raphtalia."

"How dare you strike my daughter you-," the King started to yell at the women's backsides before he was interrupted.

"Ahem," said Darius as he raised his weapon back up, "It'd be best if we not embarrass ourselves further, don't you think. A royal should be setting an example for their people after all and willing to accept punishment for breaking the laws they themselves enforce, wouldn't you agree Ren, Itsuki?" The two heroes nodded in agreement, causing the king to seethe even more.

"Besides," said Rifana without looking back, "I was hit harder than that when I was locked up. She'll be fine in a minute. Now let's get out of here." Darius dissolved his weapon and started walking along with Rifana. Naofumi was a little slower on the uptake as Raphtalia began leading him out of the arena.

"You, came back," he said with a stunned look on his face, "why, did you come back?"

"I'll always come back," said Raphtalia with a gentle smile, "I swore to be your sword forever. So I'll support you when no one else will, I'll fight with you even if the rest of the world turns on us, and I'll believe you when no one else will. I know the kind, gentle person you really are and it's all thanks to you that I have a purpose again." Her touch caused the remainder of the ominous presence on his shield to disappear, something Darius breathed a sigh of relief about.

"So," said Rifana, "this turned out alright after all. Should we show up to the next one?"

"Abso- fucking-lutely not," said Darius and Naofumi at the same time.

**I personally like this ending, until I remember they got to go back and collect the reward. But enough of that, I hope everyone enjoyed this latest chapter and didn't think it was too long, I got to writing and just couldn't find a better place than here to end it, in my opinion anyway. As always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as a a couple of new party members join our merry little group. 'Til then.**


	8. Hatching A Monster Mount

**Hatching a Monster Mount**

Castle of the Queen and King of Melromarc: Throne Room

Darius has never admitted to having a perfect memory, especially when there's a lot going on. Though one thing he wished he had remembered, was that there was a reward that still needed to be collected. Needless to say, with all of the excitement from the hero duel yesterday, he'd not only forgotten about the reward but also the fact that he hadn't yet officially introduced himself to the King. Which was why it made it just a bit awkward for him, Naofumi, Raphtalia and Rifana to be standing in the throne room now with the other three cardinal heroes, a collection of advisors and guards and of course his highness himself.

"I shall now present a reward to Master Motoyasu for fighting the wave and for fulfilling my request," said Aultcray Melromarc, "A total of four thousand silver. Our young masters Itsuki and Ren shall receive three thousand eight hundred silver, and finally, a small sum of five hundred silver has been set aside for the Shield Hero." Naofumi wasn't pleased by such a drastic difference in his reward, but he put up no argument as he reached out to accept the bag of coins. "However, I'm afraid the cost of freeing your slave from her curse must be offset, therefore you shall receive no funds this time."

Darius simply sighed as a portal opened up from the floor and a chain hand yanked the bag out of the servant's hand. "Your majesty I'm afraid I have to protest this decision," he said with his arms crossed and the bag of coins held out of reach above his and Naofumi's heads, "The price for placing a slave crest isn't anywhere near this much and I don't imagine removing one is so expensive either."

"You dare to interfere in our affairs yet again!" seethed the King, "Who are you to think you can demand anything of me adventurer!"

"Because I'm more than just an adventurer," said Darius as he kneeled with a hand over his heart, "My name is Darius Saxon, and I have been called to this world to serve as the latest Armory Hero. As such, my duties fall under the same responsibility as the rest of the cardinal heroes including fighting against the waves and insuring justice is dealt out fairly. And while I do apologize for all of the unpleasantness I've had to show lately your highness, it was necessary to insure that an unfair bias did not prevail, as I am doing now."

"Armory Hero," said the King with an obvious note of disbelief, "I have heard no tales of such a person or their status as a cardinal hero. What proof have you to back up such a wild claim."

"Well for starters," said Darius as he stood back up, "everything I just told you about who I am was explained to me by her highness, the Filolial Queen Fitoria. Her memory's not always the greatest but she knew for a fact that another Armory Hero existed more than two centuries ago, because she was there to see him. So feel free to check with her if you need to."

"You have spoken to the Filolial Queen?" Questioned the King, clearly not expecting to hear that explanation.

"Other aspects of his story also check out," Said Itsuki suddenly, "He told us he comes from America, a country which exists in each of our worlds. The way he describes his former life is also something I don't think anyone here would be familiar with."

"Add on to that the fact his band's Stats come up as legendary weapons," said Ren, "And the abilities he wields are like no other magic we've seen in this world. Given the relatively unknown nature of the ancient ritual used to summon all of us, it's a high likelihood he is indeed who he says he is."

"But even if he's not, he brings up a good point," said Itsuki, "You not only interfered in Naofumi's duel but you're also refusing to pay what he's owed. By my account you're being more than a little unfair."

"More to the point," said Ren, "Had Darius not raised that shield wall, Myne's interference would've cost Naofumi the duel, one he was clearly going to win anyway."

"What," said a surprised Motoyasu, clearly not expecting them to be on the Shield Hero's side, "Come on guys I could've won!"

"And you're both wrong on one account," said Myne smugly, "the duel was supposed to be one on one and the Shield Hero broke that rule by having monsters under his cape."

"Oh please," said an annoyed Rifana with her hands behind her head, "If that was the case then the duel would've been called the moment Naofumi revealed he had those balloons. But given that he can't attack normally I'd say it was more than fair, and didn't you originally declare it a win on technicality due to Darius?"

"The point still stands," said Itsuki, "You used magic in an attempt to cheat and put the duel in Motoyasu's favor."

"And even putting all of that aside," said Ren, "We found that it was Naofumi who defended the village of Lute when it was being attacked, not your knights. What's more, Darius aided us against the wave boss while his party member helped defend the village. So if you ask me, the right and fair thing to do is not only compensate Naofumi but Darius as well, given his status as a cardinal hero." The King was clearly not happy with this arrangement, but eventually lamented.

"Very well," he said, "I shall grant them both the minimal amount." Darius nodded in agreement as his chain hand dropped the pouch of coins into Naofumi's hand before shooting forward and grabbing another bag which had been sitting by the throne.

"Your generosity is appreciated your majesty," said Darius, half-sarcastically as he checked the coins before dropping them into his inventory.

"Now that you have what you want, be gone, the both of you," ordered the King in an annoyed tone. This caused Naofumi to step forward with what were likely some rather nasty words until Raphtalia stopped him.

"Don't you think this is great," she said as she flashed him a friendly smile, "We got what we came for, so we don't have to waste any more of our precious time." The Shield Hero thought about that for a moment before smiling in agreement.

"Let's get out of here Raphtalia," he said as he walked to the exit of the throne room with his companion following along happily.

"It's been great," said Rifana as she and Darius also headed out, "take care, have a nice day and don't forget to die in a hole you royal ass wipes."

"Rifana," said Darius as they exited through the large double doors, "where in the world did you learn to speak like that?"

"Only from the great Armory Hero," she said with a wink, "He's a wonderful teacher of language."

"I'm sure he taught you about speaking respectfully," said Darius, who couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"He says I should speak with the same amount of respect that someone shows me or my friends," said Rifana, "Which was little to none in this case."

"Did I say that?" Questioned the Armory Hero, "Ah well, too late now, let's just get out of this castle, the atmosphere of bull is stifling."

Slave Trader's Tent: Some Time Later

"I knew slavery was legal and all," said Darius as he stood with his arms crossed against some cabinets, "But I still find it more than a little disconcerting that this whole operation is just sitting out right here in the capital." Surprisingly, it had been Raphtalia's idea to come back here for the odd reason of getting another slave crest. Though for other, more obvious reasons Rifana didn't want any part of it and opted to wait outside the circus-sized tent.

"I can't say I necessarily like it either," said Naofumi, "But beggars can't be choosers, especially when the royals themselves are doing everything they can to sabotage me."

"It is a sad state of affairs when you can trust a slave trader more than the people who are supposed to be upholding the laws," agreed Darius as the glowing crest finished etching itself onto Raphtalia's chest.

"And there you have it, a brand new slave crest," said the slave trader, a short round man in a black suit and cape with a top hat. Though what unnerved Darius about the man was how he couldn't see his eyes under his glasses and the fact his mustached face always seemed to have a crooked smile.

"Are you really sure you're okay with this," said Naofumi, "You more than proved you're willing to fight by my side."

"I wanted it as a symbol," said Raphtalia, "of your faith in me Naofumi."

"Suit yourself I guess," said the Shield Hero as he grabbed what was left of the potion for drawing the crests.

"What do you think of it?" Asked Raphtalia. Darius gave a thumbs up, but Naofumi, well.

"Slave user's shield, now that's' interesting," said the Shield Hero as he added the slave crest potion to the jewel, "Sorry what were you saying?"

"Nothing, forget about it," said Raphtalia with a huff as the Armory Hero simply shook his head at his ally's obliviousness.

"It's amazing how much you've helped such a scrawny thing grow in such a short time," said the Slave Trader in a gravelly voice, "If she was still a virgin, you could fetch about twenty for her."

"I am a virgin though," Raphtalia shot back as her face went a bit red.

"Even better, you could get thirty five gold coins for her," said the Slave Trader happily.

"How about no egg man," said Darius as he conjured a war hammer in his right hand, "I'm already close to my tolerance limit just being in here, so let's not push it."

"Oh my," said the Slave Trader, "You must be that weapon conjurer everyone's been talking about recently. Tell me, is it true you threatened the King himself?"

"I simply tried to prevent a quickly escalating situation," said Darius dismissively, "was it the best approach, probably not, but it didn't seem like anyone was gonna listen to reason without a bit of incentive. Oh and for the record, just call me Armory Hero."

"Now that is fascinating indeed," said the Slave Trader as he twirled his mustache.

"Speaking of eggs, what are those supposed to be," said Naofumi as he indicated a purple box with numerous said eggs. The strange thing about them was they all had some type of purple eye symbol on them.

"That would be the monster egg lottery," explained the Slave Trader, "for just a hundred silver, you're guaranteed a Filolial at the very least. Take care of it properly and the chick will double in value."

"A Filolial, like the queen Darius was talking about earlier?" Questioned Naofumi.

"They're the giant birds used to carry people and pull carriages," said Raphtalia, "I imagine you've seen at least a few of them around."

"But the big prize if you're lucky is a Tyrera dragon!" exclaimed the Slave Trader gleefully, "A powerful beast who's worth twenty gold pieces as you know!"

"So the whole thing is basically a gotcha game then," said the Shield Hero with a 'go figure' look on his face.

"Uh master, what's a gotcha game?" Questioned Raphtalia with a confused tilt of her head.

"Nothing," said Naofumi, "So what do we owe you anyway?"

"Well if you're interested in the egg, I'd be willing to do a package deal," said the Slave Trader, "for the price of the egg I'll throw in the slave crest for free!"

City Street: Shortly Thereafter

"It's been a while since I've felt buyer's remorse," said Darius as he and Naofumi both walked down the street, carrying eggs in small purple carriers, "Remind me again how I let myself be convinced to buy this?"

"You said you owed it to Fitoria to try raising a Filolial," the Shield Hero reminded him, "And then you realized you might end up with something besides that."

"I just wished you'd let him cover some of the cost of your egg Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia, "Darius did offer and we shouldn't be wasting money like that."

"Well when I thought about it, I realized it was a bit unfair for me to make you do all of the fighting alone," explained the Shield Hero, "This way you'll have a monster helping you out."

"I can fight more than fine on my own," said Raphtalia.

"And given that we're all basically a group now, it seems unnecessary," said Rifana.

"We'll still need to split up for level grinding though," Darius realized, "Which means it'll be good to have a mount in case we run into more trouble than we can handle. Hmm, maybe this wasn't my worst buy after all."

"Either way we should probably tighten our purse strings just a bit," said Raphtalia as they entered an herb shop. As it turned out, Naofumi had been doing business with this particular shopkeeper ever since the rumors started to earn a bit of extra money. He'd been discreetly using a leaf shield to enhance the herbs he brought so that he'd get top dollar. Though this time around the shop keeper actually gave him a book on making even better medicines. The reason he gave it to him was he had some relatives in Lute village that Naofumi, Raphtalia and Rifana saved during the wave.

Afterwards they headed to the local magic shop, with directions from the herb shop owner, which was run by a kind old lady dressed in the trappings of a witch. As it turned out, she had a grandson in Lute village who was also saved by them during the wave. She thanked them by giving them a grimoire filled with a number of magic spells as well as reading everyone's magic affinity. Naofumi had affinities for healing and support magic, while Raphtalia had both a light and dark affinity, though the old lady did encourage her to learn illusion magic as well. Rifana had affinities for earth and fire while Darius had an affinity for enhancement and affliction magic, which was just a fancy way of saying he could inflict status damage on his enemies.

The Armory Hero also bought one of the crystal balls which allowed for communication and recording. "What in the world do you think we can do with that?" Questioned Naofumi as they walked along a forest trail.

"Just a little theory I wanted to try," said Darius as he pressed the crystal ball to the jewel on his band. A notification appeared then saying 'communication ability unlocked.' "Bingo," said the Armory Hero as he tossed the crystal ball to his comrade, "Touch that thing to your shield and see what happens." Naofumi simply shrugged and did as he was asked, pressing the crystal ball to the jewel on his cardinal weapon.

"Communication ability," he said out loud as he read some of the info from the help screen on his HUD.

"Yo, testing one, two, three and all that jazz," said Darius as a small image of him appeared in the upper right hand corner of his HUD.

"You're kidding me, we can actually communicate with our weapons," said Naofumi.

"I heard some of these crystal balls can record and send images," explained Darius, "so when the old lady mentioned you could learn magic from them I thought 'hey, why don't we see what happens if we use one on our weapons.'"

"Good thinking," said Naofumi, "though what would you have done if it didn't work?"

"I would've had to go back and buy another crystal ball," said Darius as he rubbed the back of his head, "which thankfully wasn't the case because that old lady did not exaggerate when she said they were expensive."

"Well this way we can split up and still keep in contact," said Naofumi with a hand to his chin, "We'll have to do a bit of testing for range and interference, but this does solve a couple of problems. Now we just need to figure out how to read these grimoires. You wouldn't happen to have a crystal ball for that would you?"

"Unfortunately no," said Darius, "And by the sound of it you haven't found any kind of auto-translate function for reading either. I only know what little I learned on the way up here with Rifana's and Figneria's help."

"Well then we'll all learn together," suggested Raphtalia, "Rifana and I can teach you the language while also learning the magic."

"You really think we can learn both at the same time?" Questioned Naofumi.

"If I can teach Darius then Raphtalia can definitely teach you," said Rifana with a grin.

"But just so long as you remember that we're doing this 'together,'" said Raphtalia, "Which means if you need help, don't hesitate to ask." The Shield Hero gave it a quick bit of thought before responding.

"I guess that's the plan," said Naofumi, "So let's head down to Lute village to spend the night and then get to level grinding in the morning." Everyone agreed happily to that suggestion.

Lute Village: The Next Day

The Inn the four of them stayed at had relatively nice rooms, but one problem. They were too small for all four of them. So the party split up with Raphtalia insisting that she stay with Naofumi to help him with the Grimoire while Rifana did the same with Darius after writing down a few notes so they wouldn't have to keep passing the book back and forth. Ordinarily the Armory Hero would've objected to something like that, feeling it better to give the girls their privacy, but after the recent trouble both Naofumi and Raphtalia had had recently he decided it wasn't worth mentioning for the time being. Once the rooms were settled, the four of them studied the grimoire well into the night until the raccoon girl fell asleep in the bed reading.

Rifana wasn't far behind her as she fell asleep almost the same moment she hit the bed in their room. As for Darius, he finally went to sleep after reviewing his inventory and reading up on the features granted by the communication crystal ball. He was awoken the next morning, somehow, by the sound of a loud cracking noise. "The heck," said the Armory Hero as he groggily opened his eyes to look at the source of whatever was disturbing his sleep, "No way, Rifana get up!"

"Is it morning already," said the weasel girl sleepily as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Come look at this," said Darius as he gestured for her to look at the egg they'd sat on the table for the night. It had begun cracking, or rather, whatever was in the egg had started to hatch. First a couple pieces fell away and then a small roar sounded as an azure lizard resembling a baby velociraptor with small winged arms broke free.

"No way, is that a baby flying dragon," said Rifana gleefully, "I've heard about them but I've never seen one hatch before."

"Any idea if they're frien-MMMF," the Armory Hero didn't get to finish his sentence as the newborn leapt onto his face, humming happily as it looked around the room.

"Aww, it must think you're its parent," said Rifana with a smile.

"I just hope it doesn't do this when it's full grown," said Darius as he managed to pry the reptile off of his face. At that moment, several knocks sounded on their door as Raphtalia called from the other side.

"Guys, the egg hatched, we got a Filolial!" she exclaimed happily as Rifana opened the door for them. Indeed as she and Naofumi walked in both of his companions had to stifle a laugh at the sight of a Filolial chick sitting on his head. 'I feel like I'm forgetting something,' thought Darius until the baby dragon started squirming in his hands.

"Oh crap, Naofumi take the bird out of the room!" exclaimed Darius as he was forced to tighten his grip on the struggling lizard.

"What for," questioned the Shield Hero, "You just need to get that lizard of yours under control."

"I can't because dragons and Filolials don't get along," said Darius, "and this is most definitely a dragon."

"Great, another problem to deal with," said Naofumi as he reluctantly exited the room.

"I guess we've got a bit of work to do," said Rifana with a sigh as the dragon climbed back on Darius's head. A good bit of work for the next two days as it turned out. As planned, they split up and did level grinding during the day and got supplies and studied the grimoire at night. All of this was made a bit more complicated given that they had to keep their new hatch-lings separate for most of the time because not only was the flying dragon a bit aggressive but Naofumi's Filolial was equally as aggressive.

It was made all the more difficult by how fast the both of them were growing too. Before long both of the little creatures had grown from riding on their heads or shoulders to large enough for Naofumi and Darius to actually ride them. In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to have them within sight of each other for the first attempted ride as the Shield Hero was forced to hold on for dear life when his Filolial went racing off into the distance while the Armory Hero had to hold on with a death grip to keep from being thrown off when his flying dragon took off into the air on the first running start. Neither of them returned to the village until sunset that evening.

"I honestly can't believe how much they both grew in just two days' time," said Raphtalia as the two heroes were feeding their now apparently fully grown mounts.

"It's probably thanks to the beast tamer's shield I've got equipped, and Darius copied," noted Naofumi, "Don't ya think Filo?" The large bird chirped in agreement.

"You named her Filo as in Filolial," said Rapthalia with a hesitant look on her face, "Isn't that-?"

"Way too obvious," Rifana finished for her with the same skeptical look.

"Well she seems to like it," said Naofumi as the bird once again chirped happily, "and what did you name your dragon?"

"Johann (Yo-Han)," said Darius as he rubbed his mount's snout, "Johann the flying dragon."

"Are you sure that's not being overly fancy," questioned the Shield Hero.

"Dragons are a proud species from what I understand," said Darius, "so I figured this one wouldn't agree with anything less than a good, strong name and-what in the world is going on out there?" Everyone looked outside the stable and noted that there was indeed a bit of commotion happening at the village entrance, caused by the king's knights. Though the real problem was who was leading them.

"In recognition of his exploits during the last wave," said Myne as she stood on a wooden platform with a royal decree held out in front of her, "the king has appointed Sir Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, ruling lord of this region." Said hero was sitting next to the platform on a Tyrera riding dragon, looking relatively pleased with himself about the whole situation.

"Oh joy team rocket's here," groaned Darius as the two parties stood at the back of the assembled crowd with their mounts.

"As much as I would enjoy gut-punching the princess again, maybe we should get out of here before there's trouble," suggested Rifana.

"In order to aid in reconstruction of this village," continued Malty, "a toll shall be levied. Fifty silver to enter and fifty to exit." Obviously the villagers were not happy to hear this as just paying such a toll multiple times would quickly use up all the funds of the people living there.

"Too late, troubles already started," noted Darius as the crowd grew even more restless.

"You dare to defy the order of your lord," snapped Myne at the crowd.

"You bet we do," said Naofumi, drawing all attention to the two parties.

"The Shield and Armory Heroes," said the princess with annoyance, "what are you two doing here? This domain belongs to Sir Motoyasu now, so you have no right to question his orders. Better yet, leave this instant you miserable criminal and take your accomplices with you."

"Sure thing," said Darius, "though the new lord might want to listen up real quick before we go to avoid a mess."

"Answer a question for me Motoyasu," said Naofumi, "Do you know what it costs to spend a single night at the inn here?"

"Uh, well actually," the Spear Hero started to say before sheepishly scratching his cheek.

"A single silver coin a night and that includes food," explained The Shield Hero, "So in essence you're charging a hundred nights for people just to enter and leave the village."

"He's right, you're not our lord, the Shield Hero's the one who defended this town in the first place," said one villager after another as the crowd began to denounce the decree even more.

"You dare to protest a royal decree!" exclaimed Myne as the guards pointed their spears at the protesting crowd.

"Bad move," said Darius as he summoned a number of chain hands above his head. The rest of the party got ready for a fight as Malty raised her hand to give the order, until a number of figures in black robes and silver masks covering their eyes and nose landed in front of her. For whatever reason, their presence actually caused a worried look to cross the princess's face.

"I trust you remember who we represent," said one of the figures who appeared to be a young woman based on her voice.

"But why have you come here?" Questioned Malty with her voice shaking in both anger and nervousness.

"We have something for you," said the woman as she handed a scroll to her.

"Who are these people Master Naofumi," Questioned Raphtalia as they watched the exchange.

"No idea," replied the Shield Hero, "But clearly they're important enough to make a princess nervous."

"This, this can't be," cursed Myne before pointing at them once again, "Shield Hero! You shall fight us for the right to rule this village!" If this challenge surprised anyone, then it was even more surprising when the Shield Hero replied after hearing the explanation of what he was being challenged too.

"I refuse!" responded Naofumi with a firm tone as he crossed his arms with a dismissive look.

"Now hold up there Rohan," said Darius, "I get that we're all making it a hobby to say no to people who think they're hot shit and all, I know I've been wanting too, but don't you think you're backpedaling a bit here?"

"He's got a point," said Rifana, "you can't just speak out about unfair treatment then turn away when a chance to stop it shows up on a silver platter."

"And since the challenge has been issued to you specifically, none of us have any right to challenge a cardinal hero," said the village lord, an older man with grey hair and a beard, "If you don't accept then this village will be taxed to nothing by the Spear Hero. Even I, the regional lord, can't handle any more taxation."

"But if the case is one cardinal hero challenging another, then can't Darius do it?" Questioned Naofumi, "Why do I have to ride in a dragon race? It all sounds like a pain in the ass."

"I think they call it being saddle sore," said Darius, "But back on topic, they won't accept a challenge from me because my dragon can fly and Filo is most comfortable with you as the rider. Besides, she seems up for it." Indeed the Filolial was staring at Motoyasu's ground dragon with a look of what was probably determination in her eyes.

"Oh why does she have that problem?" groaned the Shield Hero with his hands on his head.

"If you do help us, we'll grant you a huge reward, so please," said the village lord as he and the rest of the villagers bowed to Naofumi.

"Fine, I'll give it a shot," said the Shield Hero, "But I can't make any guarantees that I'll actually win."

"Only one way to find out," said Darius, "And don't worry about the bitch princess, we'll keep an eye on her."

"I guess that settles it then," said Naofumi, "We're racing Filo." The bird chirped in agreement.

The two heroes set their mounts up outside the village where a dirt track circled all the way around it. The village gate and a fence created two barriers which allowed all of the people to gather without worrying about stepping onto the track accidentally. Darius, Rifana, Raphtalia and Johann stood outside the village gate watching as Motoyasu wasted no time in trash talking Naofumi's choice of a mount.

"Man is that your lame excuse for a mount, a giant bird," said the Spear Hero smugly, "You can't possibly expect to win against my dragon with something like that." Unfortunately for him, Filo was just as proud as any dragon and he was in striking range as the large bird nailed him in the family jewels and sent him flying into a haystack right next to Darius and the rest of the group.

"Sir Motoyasu!" exclaimed Myne as she ran to the injured hero, who was going on about how his sensitive area was probably bruised. "Get someone with healing magic quick!"

"About time someone hit him down there," said Rifana, "I'm only sorry it wasn't me."

"You lousy cheaters, how dare you-AAAAAH!" The princess's tirade was cut short as she was also knocked into the haystack by a quick whip of Johann's tail.

"Oh no, what did you do Johann," said Darius, feigning worry before quickly whispering to his mount, "I'm so proud of you."

"It's their fault for getting too close," Naofumi pointed out as he and everyone else shared a laugh. 'It's good to see him laugh,' thought Raphtalia as their group went to the other side of the fence. After a few minutes, the healers were able to get Motoyasu on his mount as he and Naofumi prepared for the race.

"This shall be a three-lap race," declared the village lord, "whoever reaches the village gate first will be declared the winner. Now on your mark, set, and GO!" The two heroes shot forward on their mounts with Naofumi taking an early lead thanks to Filo's incredible speed, which was fast enough to kick up a massive dust cloud.

"I suppose this would be a bad time to mention it," said Darius as he stood next to a cheering Raphtalia, "But I seem to recall Filolials were always better in the ground speed department in comparison to dragons."

"Ha, you obviously have no idea how good of a dragon rider Sir Motoyasu is," said Myne with her trademark arrogant smirk, "He's guaranteed to win this, especially now that you can't follow along and interfere this-wait a moment, where's that demi-human girl of yours?"

"Oh Rifana," said Darius, "Johann was getting a bit antsy, so she's taking him on a walk. Though I have no idea where exactly they might be right now." He wasn't totally lying either. The Armory Hero, suspecting the princess would pull a fast one yet again, had sent her off to scout the track. But he had no idea where the interference would take place, and thus had no idea where his mount or his partner currently were.

A Third of the Way Down the Track

'There they are,' thought Rifana as she spied some of the guards who'd come in with Myne. She had hid in some foliage with Johann, who looked like he was stalking prey. "Let's see what they do first," said Rifana as she calmed the antsy dragon. Soon enough, Naofumi came around the bend with Motoyasu a short distance behind him. One of the guards chanted an incantation and caused a hole to open up in the ground. 'Nice Try.' "As source of thy power I order thee," chanted Rifana, "Decipher the laws of nature and close the pit before me."

The magic activated and resealed the ground right before Naofumi ran over it, allowing him to keep the lead without totally losing control. "Not bad for my first magic outside of practice." As for the bewildered guards, they decided to move to a different area around the track and attempted to use another spell that would slow Naofumi's speed. He got the whole incantation out just as Johann pounced on him and dragged him into the foliage, where his screams were quickly cut short with a quick knockout blow from Rifana's mace.

They weren't quite quick enough that time around, however, as the spell had already taken effect, allowing Motoyasu to take the lead on the second lap. But Filo was a determined bird and rushed forward at full throttle, overtaking and passing the Spear Hero yet again. "We need to move faster this time," said Rifana as they searched for the last guard in hiding. The two located him just as Naofumi and Motoyasu were coming around the bend at the final leg of the race.

With no time to spare, Johann ran forward and snatched the guard's belt with his jaws, preventing him from casting a speed enhancement spell as he dangled helplessly from the dragon's maw. He was also screaming at a surprisingly high pitch, saying he'd do anything so long as Rifana didn't let the dragon eat him. But she wasn't listening at the moment as she watched the race come to an end with Naofumi winning by barely a few feet. "I guess that means our work here is done," said the weasel girl as she turned to the guard, "Don't worry, he won't eat you so long as you and you're boys do a little favor for me."

Back by the village gates, the crowd was cheering as Naofumi dismounted Filo, petting her side lovingly. "Brilliant racing sir Shield Hero," praised the village lord.

"You should thank Filo, if anyone," said Naofumi as he patted his mount, who suddenly transformed into a much larger, more round version of a Filolial.

"So you cheated after all," said Myne as she stepped forward, flanked by two guards, "You never told us this mass of lard standing before us now was your mount."

"But given that it just now transformed it shouldn't have had any effect on the race," said the village lord.

"And if anyone cheated it was you," said Naofumi, "I noticed a hole suddenly appear in the road and I know someone used magic to slow me down at one point."

"A hole, why whatever do you mean?" Questioned Myne innocently, until three of her guards suddenly fell from the sky and landed in a heap in front of everyone. They were followed shortly by Johann landing with Rifana on his saddle.

"Hey guys, look who we found tampering with the race," She said happily as she hopped off Johann, "Picked these guys up in the forest outside of the track."

"What, who ordered you to tamper with the race?" Said Myne, clearly trying to cover for herself. Any other protests were cut short as the cloaked women appeared yet again.

"These guards are the personal escort the king assigned to you," said the lead woman in a silver mask, "Their assignment was to guard you and follow your orders. None of them would've interfered without a direct command from you."

"It's true," said one of the panicked guards, "we were ordered to rig the race! It was the Princess's idea so please don't let that dragon eat us!"

"Now what's all that about," said Darius as he looked at his mount, "Johann, we've discussed this before, it's rude to drool and to stare, I don't care how delicious the people look." This got another scream out of the guards as they got up and hurried away.

"I believe that confession more than proves it your highness," said the lead cloaked woman, much to Myne's mounting frustration.

"Very well," she finally said with a finger pointed at the two parties, "We'll leave this time, but we will be back."

"And just for the record," said Motoyasu to Naofumi as he came walking by, "I let you win today, but don't think it'll happen again."

"Yeah you buying that?" Darius asked Johann who responded by suddenly glowing blue and growing into an even fiercer and larger version than before with three jagged spikes coming out of each side of his head. He wasted no time in roaring at Myne, the Spear Hero, and the rest of the guards who beat a very hasty retreat at the sight of him. Though Motoyasu was a bit slower due to his injured manhood.

"This has been a weird couple of days," said Rifana with a sigh. At this point, another growth spurt from either of the mounts wasn't so surprising. Fortunately, the villagers were less intimidated by the sight of the large animals.

"We thank you again sir hero," said the village lord, "we don't know how we can repay you for all of your help."

"Just hurry up and hand me the reward," said Naofumi with an outstretched hand.

"Well, we're collecting the money now," said the village lord, "but it'll take a few days to-."

"I'm not talking about money," said the Shield Hero, much to the villager's relief, "I don't need people spreading rumors about me stealing all the rebuilding funds for a village."

"But no one here would ever say something like that," said Raphtalia.

"How should we repay you then Sir Hero?" Questioned the village lord. Naofumi gave it some thought, but ultimately his mind was made up as Filo pecked his head and indicated an old covered wagon.

"Y'all don't desperately need that for anything, do you?" Questioned Darius.

Forest Road: Some Time Later

Fixing up the wagon took no time at all with the villager's help and before long they were on the road again. Filo seemed overjoyed to be pulling something like the wagon and it was a much faster form of travel than all of them walking. It still wasn't as fast as flying, however, which is why Darius flew up above on Johann, getting a bird's or rather dragon's eye view of the surrounding area to make sure there wasn't any trouble up ahead. Though the real problem at the moment came from the passenger in the cart and the one riding in the saddle with Darius. "Looks like the cart's stopping again," Noted the cardinal hero as he directed the flying dragon to circle around.

"They've got the right idea," groaned Rifana as she held onto Darius's waist, "I need to stop too." The Armory Hero sighed as he landed Johann next to the cart, allowing Rifana to hop off at about the same time Raphtalia jumped out of the cart to lose their lunch on the side of the road.

"They really are best friends," noted Darius, "They even throw up together."

"I still find it incredible that one gets motion sick and the other gets airsick," said Naofumi.

"Wanna switch up then," said Darius, "It only seems fair that Raphtalia gets to fly in the air for a bit too."

"She'll need to get over her motion sickness sooner or later," said Naofumi, "So the more time she has to get used to the cart the better."

"Is that really the only reason?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow. "Or is it weird for you to picture her riding on a dragon with me, because this is the third time you've turned the suggestion down?"

"I just think we should work on one form of sickness at a time," said Naofumi, "Besides the sun's setting so we may as well make camp."

"Can we please," said Raphtalia who was currently just barely being supported by Rifana.

"I don't think either of us is in any shape to go further," added the weasel girl.

"Guess that settles it then," said Darius as he hopped off of Johann. He and Naofumi wasted no time in getting the camp set up, each gently setting their companion down on a sleeping mat so they could rest after getting a nice fire going. By the time everything was sorted out, night had fallen.

"I'm sorry about all this," said Raphtalia, "You've had to do extra work because I've had to rest all day."

"Just try to get over your motion sickness as fast as possible, you too Rifana," said Naofumi, "By cart and by air is how we'll be travelling from now on."

"So long as Darius doesn't do any aerial acrobatics, I'll see what I can do," groaned Rifana from her sleeping mat as Johann lovingly rested next to her and said Armory Hero.

"I can't make any promises on that front," Darius said, fairly certain that someone would be firing at them at some point. "Anyway, what are your thoughts on the whole traveling merchant deal Naofumi?"

"I mean we already got the passes," said the Shield Hero as he held up a gold bar with official writing on it. The lord of Lute village had presented a pair of them to Darius and Naofumi as further thanks for their help and had suggested the idea of being traveling merchants in the first place. It would come in handy given that it exempted them from paying tolls around the country. "We can go around slaying monsters, leveling up and running a side business to make some extra money. It sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

"We'll do our best too," said Raphtalia. Rifana agreed with a nod of her own.

"Then get some sleep for now," said Naofumi, "I'm not really sleepy so I'll take the first watch."

"Just remember to wake me if you do get tired," said Darius as he leaned against Johann's tail and closed his eyes for the night.

The Next Day

'Oh, why does it feel like grass is up my nostrils,' thought Darius as he lifted his head off the ground, 'wait a sec, when did my head get on the ground?'

"Darius, Master Naofumi!" Said Raphtalia suddenly, "Everyone wake up!"

"What's the problem, sorry did I fall asleep, what smells weird," said the three of them as they all woke up to varying degrees, and realized something was definitely wrong. Johann and Filo were nowhere to be found and in their places was a blue-haired boy with dragon-like wings and a blond girl with what appeared to be angel wings, both of whom were stark naked! "AAAAAAAH!" everyone backed away from the newcomers as they rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.

"Good morning master," said the blond girl happily to Naofumi with a smile on her face.

"What's all the fuss about boss," said the blue-haired boy to Darius, "And is there anything to eat, I'm starving."

"W-who are these children?!" exclaimed Rapthalia, clearly confused by the situation. She wasn't the only one.

"How in the world would I know?!" Questioned Darius and Naofumi at the same time.

"Well they're not ours," said Rifana as she glanced back and forth between the newcomers, noting they didn't resemble anyone there.

"Don't you recognize me," said the blond girl, "It's me, Filo."

"Wait if you're Filo then that means-," Darius said as he pointed to the dragon-winged boy.

"It's me alright boss, Johann," said the boy with a toothy smirk as he pointed at himself. It had definitely been a weird few days.

**And so new faces have been added to both parties, and it looks like they're gonna be quite a hassle to deal with. Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and I'd like to give a real quick shout out to all the readers who suggested a dragon emperor companion for Darius. There were a lot of ideas to sift through and this is the one I settled on, so hopefully all of you will like little Johann. In the mean time, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes try their hands at being monster hunting merchants! 'Til then.**


	9. Merchant Heroes

**Merchant Heroes**

Castle Town: Erhard's Shop

It had been a relatively fair day as far as business went for Erhard's blacksmithing shop. The owner, a large man with rough skin, a bald head and a short beard, had just finished up his most recent order and was settling down at the front counter for a well-deserved foot long sandwich. Sadly, his meal would have to wait as the door to his shop opened and admitted six people. This might've been annoying except for the fact that two of the people were some of his best customers. "Welcome back Shield Hero," said Erhard as he noticed the small blond girl wrapped in a brown cloak with them, "you know you don't have to show off every time you purchase a new slave."

"Not quite," said Naofumi with a hand on his hip.

"But it's still another young girl ya know," Erhard pointed out, "doesn't that make you, what was the word, a lolicon."

"It's not like that either," said Naofumi as he rubbed his head in annoyance.

"Come to think of it, who are the rest of these folks you brought with you?" Questioned the blacksmith as he took in the sight of Darius, Rifana and Johann, who was wearing an armored coil around his waist to cover his lower half and a small cape around his shoulders.

"Darius Saxon," the cardinal hero introduced himself with a friendly handshake, "but just call me Darius or Armory Hero if you're feeling fancy, and this is Rifana and Johann."

"Pleased to meet you sir," said the weasel girl with a polite curtsy.

"So you two are the ones stirring up all the strange talk lately," said Erhard with a hand on his chin, "though I don't recall anyone mentioning a third member to your party."

"We got Johann and Filo here at the same time," explained Darius as the two child beasts eyed the blacksmith's sandwich.

"Hey master," said the blond girl, "can I have at least a snack?"

"As much as I hate to agree with her, I'm starving over here boss," added Johann.

"You two want a bite," said Erhard as he pulled his sandwich in half and presented the one in his left hand to them, "Have at it."

"Thank you!" Filo said happily before Raphtalia stepped in.

"You two need to watch how much you eat," she said, "do you want to get a stomachache?"

"Oh they're fine," said Erhard, "I doubt they'll get through even this much."

"You wouldn't think so," said Darius before the both of them transformed into their respective mount forms, causing the shop to become a lot more cramped.

"Feeding time!" The two of them cheered as they snatched both halves of the blacksmith's sandwich and devoured it in almost a single gulp. As for Erhard, all he could do was look on in shock and dismay as his meal disappeared.

"I'll pay for it," said Darius he conjured a few coins in his hand, "as for you two, apologize and go wait by the door." The two mounts looked a bit confused by this, likely not realizing they'd done something wrong before moving to the front so everyone else could have some more room.

"So what's deal this time around," said the blacksmith with his chin in his hands after getting over his initial shock.

"Well according to Darius, what he could remember anyway," explained Raphtalia, "Filolial flocks have a king or queen leading them. They possess powerful transformation abilities and use them to disguise themselves within the flock as a normal Filolial. And as we learned with Filo, they can take on human forms as well."

"That's nuts," said Erhard, "I thought all of that was a myth."

"Remind me to tell you about how I met Fitoria some time then," said Darius, "that was nuts."

"Okay, but what about the other kid," questioned the blacksmith, "because he is definitely not a Filolial."

"We had to ask the slave merchant about that," said Rifana with disdain in her voice, "if what he says can be believed, Johann is a dragon emperor or at least a dragon emperor candidate. He somehow wound up possessing one of the scattered fragments of the original dragon emperor. Put that together with the fact that a cardinal hero is raising him and we've got what amounts to what could be one of the most powerful flying dragon mounts anyone has ever seen."

"I see," said Erhard, "So what is it you need from me?"

"We need specialized clothing," said Naofumi as he held up Filo's now torn cloak, "both Filo and Johann tear their clothes every time they transform. I already paid a hefty fee getting a specialized animal crest for Filo from the slave merchant and even with Darius's help we'll go broke fast if we have to keep buying new outfits."

"And I've only got a limited selection of armor and clothing in my inventory currently," said Darius as he materialized an enchanted glove on his hand, "Most of which is not fitted for kids."

"So if you do have anything for transforming species, that'd be a great help," said Raphtalia.

"Afraid not," said Erhard, "an item like that can only be made by special order. You'll have more luck visiting a dressmaker. But I can offer this." The blacksmith pulled out a long-sleeved red dress from under the counter. "Another customer left this and it looks to be about her size. As for the dragon boy, I got this old bone armor set I made once for a short guy that I can resize in a few minutes."

"Much appreciated," said Darius before looking back to see Johann and Filo in a tug of war match with a whole set of knight armor. 'This is gonna be a long day.'

Dressmaker Shop

One of the upsides of a city, fortunately, was how close everything was. In this case, locating a dressmaker took no time at all and the shop owner herself, a woman with short blond hair wearing glasses, was overjoyed to have a couple of cute children in her store. "Oh they're just so adorable," said the dressmaker as she gushed over the two children. Admittedly Filo did look cute in the little red dress she had, but Johann, who was wearing a furred vest and loincloth like armor, was not what Darius would describe as cute and he said so.

"I'm not cute I'm a dragon emperor," he said with his arms crossed and a 'hmph' look on his face.

"Well if those wings of yours makes you a demon then that must mean your little friend is an angel," said the dressmaker happily, not at all intimidated by Johann.

"Am I cute master," questioned Filo as she twirled around to face the Shield Hero.

"Heck if I know," said Naofumi as he sat on a stool with his arms crossed.

"Now a father shouldn't talk that way," said the dressmaker, "compliments are very important to a young lady and will only help her get cuter as she grows."

"F-father," said Raphtalia, the thought apparently very strange for her.

"Are you my father master?" Questioned Filo with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

"No, I hatched you from an egg," said Naofumi, "So I'm just your owner."

"So what does that make Raphtalia?" Questioned Rifana with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess you could say she's my daughter of sorts," replied the Shield Hero.

"I am not!" exclaimed Raphtalia, clearly hoping for a different answer to that question.

"And what about you Darius, what do you think of me?" Questioned Rifana.

"I thought I explained that we're partners," said Darius, "We work together to survive and that includes Johann now too."

"I'll keep you both covered boss," said the dragon boy with a toothy smile and a thumbs up. Rifana looked like she wanted to say something else but Naofumi interrupted.

"Whatever the case, we're here to purchase some clothes which can transform along with they're user."

"Oh if that's what you need then surely you brought some magic thread along with you?" Said the dressmaker.

"Magic what?" Darius and Naofumi said at the same time.

"Thread woven from the wearer's own mana," explained the shopkeeper, "It's the only way to make transforming clothes, so they're always custom orders. You bring me that thread and I'll make you two of the cutest outfits you've ever seen in your entire lives!"

"You put a single cute thing on me and I burn this whole place to the ground," muttered Johann who received a quick bonk on his head from Darius.

Magic Shop: A Short Time Later

"I most certainly could weave you some magic thread," said the store owner who Darius had started referring to as 'Granny Witch.' "Unfortunately my spinning wheel's magic gemstone broke recently."

"I guess that's what happens when you loan it out to Maleficent," quipped Darius, though Naofumi was the only one to understand the reference.

"How expensive is it to replace," questioned the Shield Hero patiently.

"It's relatively expensive, but the real problem is that a magic gemstone is hard to find," replied the magic shop owner.

"Anyway we can help locate it?" Questioned Rapthalia.

"For now just give me some time to speak with a few people I know," replied Granny Witch, "With luck I should be able to acquire a new one, but it will take some time." Everyone simply shrugged, seeing there was nothing else that could be done.

"Wow, what does this do?" Sang Filo as she bounced on her feet in front of a crystal ball.

"Why this crystal ball measures magical affinity," said the shop owner as she held her hands over the orb, "care to measure yours?"

"We may as well measure both of theirs and-JOHANN GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!" the curious dragon boy had managed to get a hold of one of the potion bottles with a red liquid in it. Unfortunately it must've reminded him of food because he decided to taste it. The result, a belch of blue fire catching Granny Witch's desk on fire which Darius and Naofumi had to put out with their capes. In the end, they left the shop with the knowledge that Filo had wind affinity, Johann had fire and possibly lightning affinity, and the Armory Hero had eighty less silver.

Above a Mountain Path

"So no transforming clothes for either of them for the time being," Rifana thought out loud, "Hopefully we'll make enough money to keep paying for regular clothes until then."

"We should be fine so long as this merchant thing pans out," said Darius as he had Johann circle around above the wagon. The Armory Hero had pitched the idea of using his inventory ability to store all of the cargo, but he found he was restricted against storing large crates, which meant he could only carry so many non-battle items at a time. So, given that they were just starting out, Darius and his party were sticking with Naofumi's party for the time being by keeping an eye on the path ahead for bandits or monsters. Or a single guy in a grey long-sleeve shirt and a blue vest who appeared to be stumbling along. "Hey Naofumi, you got a runner up ahead."

"Any idea why he's running?" Questioned the Shield Hero as his face appeared in the upper right hand corner of Darius's HUD.

"We're about to find out," replied the Armory Hero as he guided Johann down to land on the path just in front of the man. Said runner had clearly not been expecting a dragon to appear in front of him, obviously, and reacted about the way one would expect him too.

"AAAAAAH! Please don't eat me!" cried the man as he backpedaled before tripping and falling on his ass.

"There's nothing to worry about," said Rifana as she and Darius leapt off, "what seems to be the problem?"

"I-I need to get this medicine to the village up ahead as fast as possible," explained the man, "It's urgent."

"You get all that," said Darius to Naofumi as the Shield Hero pulled up in the cart with Filo and Raphtalia.

"I did," replied the cardinal hero as he leapt out of the wagon, "We can get there a lot faster if we fly, but I'll need to go along as well, and it's gonna cost one silver."

"But I already spent money on this medicine," said the tired man.

"I didn't say you had to pay me now," the Shield Hero pointed out, "Just make sure to get it to me soon and don't try to worm out of it."

"V-very well," said the runner, "And thank you for your help."

"That means you and Raphtalia will watch the cart," said Darius to the weasel girl, "Just keep along the path for now and we'll meet up later."

"Can do," said Rifana as she grabbed and hoisted the villager up onto Johann. Naofumi followed shortly after as the flying dragon took off into the air. It was a bit painful for Darius as the man was screaming in terror in his ear the whole way. On the upside, they were able to fly over all of the check points without any issue and landed at the village in short order as Naofumi and the runner dismounted and headed in.

"That shield guy's a little greedy, don't ya think," said Johann as he settled into a spot outside the door of the small cottage that was the running man's apparent home.

"He does have to make a little money," said Darius, "but it's not his fault. If he was being paid like the other heroes then he'd likely do this free of charge. As it is, he's mostly trying to hide the fact that he's actually a nice guy."

"Well it's not like I can make fun of him," said Johann, "us dragons are a greedy bunch ourselves and if you weren't my boss I'd be gathering up treasure right now."

"Please don't," said Darius, "I've already got all kinds of rumors swirling around ever since I threatened the king. What'll people think if they believe I'm raising a dragon to steal stuff?"

"That you're a moron who should've seen it coming," replied Johann. Even in dragon form it was easy to see he was smiling.

"Fair point," said Darius as Naofumi exited the cottage along with the runner. By the looks of things, the medicine had done its job. No surprise when the Shield Hero is using his abilities to enhance the potion's effects.

"Thank you again kind sirs," said the man as he handed them a sack of vegetables and meat, "this should be worth about one silver."

"Close enough," said Naofumi as he slung the bag over his shoulder before he and Darius climbed onto Johann. "We'll be on our way now."

"Safe travels to the both of you," said the man as they took off into the sky.

"That went well," said Darius as they flew back to the wagon, "maybe we should start carrying medicine more regularly."

"We can do more than that," said Naofumi, "we can transport people as well. Not to mention you and I can take turns hunting down monsters and selling the remains to whoever's buying. This whole business might be way more profitable than either of us could've hoped."

"Then I guess it's settled," said Darius, "The Shield and Armory Hero's traveling business is officially open!"

Local Village Inn: Several Days Later

It was quite a business too. Naofumi's group worked all the land routes transporting bulk goods and people while Darius's group took to the skies transporting smaller, but still very valuable items as well as anyone brave enough to ride on a dragon. This also allowed both groups to level grind on their own time without fear of their legendary weapons blocking EXP gains. The communication ability really shined through during this time as well, as it allowed Darius and Naofumi to set meeting times and locations even despite being a few miles away from each other. It was during one such meet up to have lunch at an Inn where the two heroes learned they'd apparently been given some new names.

"Savior of the Heavenly Fowl," repeated Darius upon hearing the title, "Apparently the news still hasn't gotten around that you charge for most services."

"It's not like I picked the name myself," said Naofumi as he took a drink, "I mean according to the story going around, Filo's the deity of domesticated birds or something along those lines and I'm some kind of savior going around healing the sick."

"Well you are delivering enhanced medicine to those in need," said Raphtalia, "In that way you really are healing the sick."

"Yeah but it's not a very heroic sounding title," said Naofumi, "At least Darius gets to be a dragon knight."

"The whole title is 'The Merciful Dragon Knight'," said Rifana dramatically, "A cunning warrior who tamed a sky dragon and serves the people by delivering gifts he receives from the mountains and forests."

"For a nominal fee of course," said Darius, "and they're exaggerating on the cunning part given that this whole merchant thing wasn't even my idea in the first place. But, it has given me a chance to pick up some new skills." The Armory Hero proceeded to summon a jeweled dagger in his hand, "I've been talking to Erhard and a number of smiths from other villages. I'm nowhere near crafting my own weapons but I did pick up a weapon repair skill and an appraisal skill. I also managed to unlock a weapon enhancement skill using the proper tools, so I've made a side business of my own selling and trading high quality weapons I've got too much or too little of at affordable prices. Selling monster parts is also going pretty well."

"Well this whole merchant gig wasn't my idea either," said Naofumi as he pulled out a necklace with a red jewel in it, "But it's definitely had its perks. Thanks to an accessories seller we transported and protected from bandits recently, I've learned how to process metals, imbue gems with mana and craft specialized gemstones among other things. I got a whole side business set up now on gemstone crafting thanks to him and a number of connections within the trader's grapevine which has been invaluable for information. I've even heard rumors of what the other heroes have been up too."

"Hopefully no more attempts at overtaxing villages," commented Rifana, "And-would you two slow it down! You're drenching the table in food scraps and spit!" Johann and Filo stopped devouring their meals and began to eat more slowly, though they were still glaring at each other. It had been an issue whenever they met back up. Filo and Johann would compare their exploits and try to one up each other by turning regular tasks or activities into contests. This was probably the tenth eating contest they'd challenged each other too.

"Well from what I've heard," continued Naofumi, "Motoyasu got his hands on some legendary crop that saved a famine-stricken village, though I bet you anything it was that royal bitch's idea."

"At least he did something positive for a change," said Darius.

"Sure," said the Shield Hero, "then there's Ren. Rumor has it he's gone Southeast to hunt monsters and apparently he even managed to slay a dragon."

"Heh, I doubt that's true," said Johann, "a full grown dragon is a force of nature. Even with help a legendary hero couldn't kill one easily."

"Easy or not that's just what I've heard," said Naofumi, "Which is more than I can say for Itsuki. The only rumors I can find are all over the place. Some say he's gone up in the mountains to train, others say he's searching for treasure in a dungeon somewhere. The most out there rumor is that he's gone up North and joined the resistance of another country."

"It seems up his alley," said Darius, "He strikes me as the justice seeking type. I just hope he's worked on his friendly fire a bit."

"Well they're all rumors anyway," said Naofumi as he pulled out a sealed envelope, "What is a fact is we finally have a lead on a magic gemstone. You see this is a deed given to me by that same accessories seller to a mine. If anyone knows where to find magic stones, it'll be miners."

"Guess that's our next stop," said Darius, "it'll be fun to travel as a group again." Everyone else nodded in agreement.

Ancient Temple

The Shield Hero's hunch was right on the money. The head miner was more than happy to help them procure whatever gems or stones they needed, and at a discount. But, that's where the good news stopped. The mining chief did indeed know where to find a magic gemstone, but, it just so happened to be in some ancient ruins that previously served as a base for a notorious alchemist. Despite that, Naofumi still decided to bring Granny witch along.

Upon arriving, they noted that the massive temple was actually built into the side of the cliff. What was even stranger was the presence of a large tunnel nearby. "I do find it quite odd," said the Magic Shop Owner, "I read about this place once but I never recall hearing anything about a tunnel."

"A load of monsters have been nesting here for a while now," said Naofumi, "because of that no one's really tried approaching here."

"Well hopefully we can get in and out without running into too much trouble," said Darius optimistically.

"But where should we start," questioned Raphtalia, "this temple is pretty big and it has multiple entrances."

"Hate to say it," said Rifana, "but splitting up might be our best option for the moment. Since you've got all the mining equipment Naofumi, you should probably take the tunnel."

"Yeah but you've got earth magic," Darius pointed out, "wouldn't it make more sense for you to head underground with them?"

"Most of what I know is destruction and defense magic," said Rifana, "I'm not practiced enough to use it underground without causing a possible cave in."

"I guess that settles it then," said Naofumi, "We'll take the underground route while you guys go in through the front door."

"There's probably more treasure up top anyway," commented Johann in his dragon form as he followed after Darius and Rifana. The front of the temple resembled Greek architecture, at least what Darius knew as Greek architecture, with several columns holding up a triangular roof. The front was decorated with three statues that were probably the people responsible for building the temple in the first place. The inside was relatively impressive as well with numerous stone hallways and statues.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think this was some kind of dungeon for adventurers," said Darius as he glanced at some of the symbols along the walls. If he wasn't mistaken, a number of them were alchemic symbols.

"Boss, we got trouble," said Johann suddenly as he sniffed the air. Rifana's ears twitched as she also confirmed the presence of something, or rather several somethings.

"Stay on your guard," said the Armory Hero as he summoned a set of spiked gloves and boots. The passage opened up into a larger room full of pottery and other sculptures. What was strange, however, was the presence of several holes in the walls. Holes which were quickly filled with glowing red eyes. "Form up now!"

The three of them stood facing three different directions as a number of cat-like monsters with red eyes and black and brown fur came stalking towards them. They also possessed extra-long, pointed ears and barbed tails. "Blight cats," said Rifana, "their claws and tails carry small traces of venom. They hunt in packs to bring down larger prey."

"Lucky us," grinned Johann as he roared, prompting the monsters to come charging at them. The flying dragon responded with a blast of blue fire, roasting a small number of the monsters alive as the rest scattered and circled around the group. Darius and Rifana didn't remain idle, however, and leapt into the mass of confused monsters. The Armory Hero formed his Imitator mask on his face as he whirled around with a vicious spinning kick.

The augmented strength granted by his boots and gloves sent several of the dog-sized beasts flying. Rifana made use of counter swings as she knocked them out of midair with her mace or dodged around their lunge attacks before slamming her mace into the sides of the creature's heads. Johann continued with smaller streams of fire while also swinging his tail and clamping his jaws around the ones unlucky enough to not get away in time. The blight cat's numbers dwindled quickly as Darius finished the remaining ones in front of him with a flurry attack he augmented with 'High Quick.'

"Everyone good?" Questioned the Armory Hero as he checked to make sure he didn't get any cuts from the venomous creatures.

"I don't have any wounds," replied Rifana as she brushed some mangled fur off of her weapon.

"My scales are thick enough I didn't even feel the bites," boasted Johann, "though one did try hanging off my tail. His mistake, or hers, I didn't really check before I chucked it."

"Well I don't see any wounds," said Darius as he checked his mount, "But remember, when it comes to venomous monsters even a small cut can be lethal. So if you feel anything no matter how minor, you say something."

"A little bit of venom like that won't take me down," said Johann, "But I guess if that's what you want to do boss."

"Hey guys, I think I found something," said Rifana as she waved from an entrance at the other side of the room. The two followed her into the next room where a stone holder had been set up in the middle of the room.

"Now this just screams booby trap," said Darius as they carefully made their way in. Upon closer inspection, the upraised stone was being used to display a brilliant ax which had a large, single curved blade, a blue handle with steel bindings every few inches to help with the grip and some kind of bluish white feathers hanging from the back of it. A number of Runes were also inscribed on the blade itself.

"So shiny," said Johann as he moved to sniff the weapon before Darius put a hand on his snout.

"It is," said the Armory Hero, "but it's not what we came here for. We should move along to the next room and-NOOOO!" The dragon had moved to get a better whiff of the ax and had inadvertently knocked it over onto the floor where a resounding clang echoed throughout the entire chamber. No one moved or even dared to breathe for a few moments as they looked around to see if anything had happened.

"Are you trying to get us crushed by a boulder or something?!" exclaimed Rifana, "What if that ax had been connected to some sort of trap?"

"It's not like I meant to knock it over," said the dragon as he picked the ax up and handed it to Darius, "Besides, are you really telling me you were just gonna pass something like this up?"

"I don't have much of a choice," said Darius, "I read the Stats on this thing and I actually can't use it in combat yet, my levels not high enough."

"But you're level thirty five," said Rifana, "what kind of weapon requires such a high level to wield." Indeed Darius was the highest level out of all of them with Rifana following closely at level thirty now and Johann at level twenty seven. It was a mystery and one they didn't have time to ponder as the cardinal hero noted some movement within the shadows at the back of the room.

"Uh guys, I think we'd best leave," he said as he stored the temporarily unusable ax in his inventory. His party members didn't need to ask why as their eyes darted to the figure emerging from the shadows. It quickly became apparent that the monster was larger even than Johann as it spread its massive wings, revealing itself to be a yellow hawk-like bird with white markings. The air crackled around it as charged bolts of electricity leapt from its wings.

Darius quickly read its Stats and discovered the beast before them was none other than a legendary Thunderbird, one whose apparent job in this case was to destroy thieves and intruders. And with one mighty screech, the guardian bird charged forward to carry out its task. Johann reacted first and shot a torrent of blue fire at the approaching monster. But the beast reacted quickly and covered itself with its wings, blocking the majority of the flames.

The thunderbird retaliated with a bolt of lightning which the party was barely able to dodge by diving to the side. Darius quickly fired a number of spears from his prone position on the floor, but they proved just as ineffective as Johann's flames. 'Our levels might match,' thought Darius, 'but none of the current weapons in my inventory are strong enough.' Rifana attacked next using earth magic as she slammed her mace on the ground, causing a number of rocks to dislodge and fire at the boss monster. But it was blown away by a powerful flap of the bird's wings.

'Guess now's as good a time as any,' thought Darius as he used his Replica ability to summon a darkened version of the Spear Hero's weapon with a white jewel. "Everyone stand back!" Called Darius as he charged forward while also summoning his Imitator mask. The thunderbird attempted to take flight, but wasn't fast enough as the Armory Hero let loose a white energy version of Chaos Spear. Even at reduced power it was still surprisingly effective as the boss screeched in agony before falling back against the wall.

'Now to restrain it for a combination attack,' thought Darius as he held out his hand to use binding chain. But an alert appeared on his HUD, signaling a restriction. 'What, I can't use my portals while I'm using a replica of a legendary weapon!' "What's wrong," asked Rifana, noticing the look on his face.

"I got no portals while I got this weapon out," said the cardinal hero as a screech from the now recovered monster drew their attention. Clearly the attack had pissed it off as the monster lifted its head and started charging a ball of lightning at the end of its beak. 'Not good,' thought Darius as he readied another attack with the legendary spear. But Johann was quicker as he rushed forward and slammed into the boss, knocking it back into the wall and causing the attack to fire into the ceiling prematurely.

The entire room shook with the impact as rubble began to fall. "Johann get out of there!" Yelled Rifana. But the dragon was stubborn as his jaws held onto the bird's throat with a death grip. His lightning resistance also allowed him to hang on even despite the thunderbird firing lightning all over the chamber. It was also the problem, however, as more and more rubble was knocked loose from the walls, ceiling and even some from the floor.

Finally, the boss leapt forward and slammed its body on the ground, forcing the flying dragon to let go as they both rolled forward. "Rifana, combo attack," ordered Darius as he switched the spear to Ren's legendary sword.

"As source of thy power I order thee," chanted Rifana, "decipher the laws of nature and destroy my enemy in a torrent of flame!" A miniature tornado of fire swirled around her weapon while Darius summoned forth the Crimson Blade attack he'd seen once before. Swinging at the same time, the two fire abilities impacted with enough force to knock the boss into the wall one more time, critically wounding it and crippling its right wing.

"Ow, did we win," said a groggy Johann as he struggled to his feet. The answer to his question came with the sound of very loud cracking.

"Yes and no," said Darius as he found the source, the wall and ceiling. The entire room was about to come down as rubble again fell from the ceiling. The Armory Hero quickly dissolved his replica weapon and summoned a Phalanx wall above their heads to deflect the initial small bits of rubble, but it wouldn't hold for long. "Rifana get us out of here!"

"As source of thy power I order thee," chanted the weasel girl, "decipher the laws of nature and create a pit to escape!" A large hole opened up in the floor as Johann transformed back into his human form and dove down the hole first. Rifana followed shortly after and Darius went last once he sent his shields back to the inventory. Even being one level lower, they still heard the final death screeches of the thunderbird as they ran from the collapsing chamber.

None of them stopped running until they'd made it back out of the temple, just barely escaping it before the entrance behind them collapsed. "Whew," said Darius as everyone stopped to catch their breath, "well other than an ax we can't yet use, that was a total bust."

"No magic gemstones and not even material from that monster," sighed Rifana as she dusted herself off.

"Actually-BUUUUURP!" Said Johann as he suddenly belched out some feathers, "I, uh, kind of took a mouth full of feathers after I bit into it."

"I guess today wasn't a total loss then," said Darius as he took one of the feathers and added it to the jewel on his right band. "Hmm, Lightning Bind, I could make use of that and it seems you got a boost to your lightning affinity." Johann simply smiled as his Stats indicated he'd unlocked lightning magic.

"Hey, are you guys okay over there," shouted Naofumi as his group approached. It appeared they'd had a little trouble as well.

"I mean we survived a thunderbird and a collapsing temple," said Rifana, "So all things considered we could be worse."

"My word, a thunderbird here," said the Magic Shop Owner, "that is most unusual. Such a creature as that is usually only found in areas of high elevation."

"This one was apparently raised here to guard the temple from intruders," surmised Darius, "though it doesn't have much of a temple left to guard now. How'd you guys fair?"

"Tangled with some voice gengars and a vicious Nue," said Naofumi, "Raphtalia got a little banged up but otherwise we got what we came for." The Shield Hero held out a blue gemstone.

"It was only a scratch Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia, "But he's right, I should've been more careful."

"Johann took a few good hits too," noted Darius, "I hate to ask but do you think the wagon will hold all of us?"

"I can fly just fin-ow," the dragon boy had tried to argue only to grasp his right arm in pain. His wing and arm had taken some damage when the thunderbird basically body slammed the two of them onto the ground.

"Yeah no," said the Armory Hero, "You're riding young man, at least until Naofumi can get you healed."

"No, no, no," said Johann as he crossed his arms in refusal, "I'd rather walk then be pulled along by a Filolial." Darius sighed as he was left with only one option. Later on they all rode on the wagon as a very irritated Johann sat chained up by a claw hand that was coming from a portal in the seat. "This sucks," he said as Naofumi worked on applying healing magic too him. The situation wasn't helped by Filo singing a song about stupid dragons most of the way back.

Magic Shop: The Next Day

Fortunately for the flying dragon boy, he got a mild revenge the next day as he watched Filo producing magic thread from the gemstone and running it through a spinning wheel. "Why is this making me so tired," groaned the little Filolial as she continued to wind the spinning wheel.

"As I explained to the dragon boy," said the Grandmother Witch, "the process uses your own mana to produce the thread, but you only need to produce a little more." Filo groaned again at hearing she wasn't done yet.

"I don't see what you're complaining about," said Johann with his arms crossed, "I didn't whine one bit while I made my thread, and I'm not the slightest bit-ZZZZZZZ." Amazingly, he'd fallen asleep standing up.

"Don't worry about him," said Raphtalia, "I'll give you some nice snacks when you finish up." The blond girl perked up at this as she hurried along and completed producing the rest of the thread. After that, the two groups headed back over to the dressmaker's shop and presented her with the thread. She happily accepted and got to work on the two outfits, telling them the orders would be ready by tomorrow. With nothing else to do, they all turned in for the night at a local Inn.

Dressmaker's Shop: The Next Day

"Do I look alright?" Questioned Filo as she and Johann both stepped out of the changing room at the same time. Filo had on a light blue dress with long sleeves, frills along all the edges and a dark blue bow. As for Johann, he was now sporting a large, scaly dark-blue vest with baggy brown pants. Both outfits had holes for the wings. And they were both barefoot.

"It looks terrific on you," said Naofumi, getting a cheer from Filo who leapt over and hugged him while Raphtalia pouted, apparently jealous of the little girl.

"I suppose she looks alright," said Raphtalia dismissively.

"They both look absolutely darling!" exclaimed the dressmaker, who apparently had worked on the outfits all night given the bags under her eyes. "I did everything I could to bring out their individual charms and if you ask me I did one heck of a job!"

"They are both impressive," noted Rifana as she looked between the two mounts.

"It does feel comfortable and everything," said Johann, "But I can't help but feel like it needs something more."

"Oh that's right I nearly forgot," said the dressmaker as she went to the back room and returned shortly with a pair of boots and some gauntlets, "It was tricky but I added some magic thread to these after the blacksmith dropped them off here."

"I placed a special order after we got into town," said Darius as Johann slipped them on, "according to Erhard, they should increase your strength greatly while you're in human form." The gauntlets themselves had a blue and scaly design on them and went almost up to his elbows. His boots were also designed to appear like dragon's feet and stopped just above his ankles.

"I like 'em," said Johann with a toothy smirk as he clenched his fists a few times.

"You'd better, they cost me two hundred silver," commented Darius.

"And Filo's outfit, plus the slave crest and all the other expenses recently add up to three hundred and forty silver for us," said Naofumi, "You two had best work hard to pay all that off."

"Right," they both replied happily as their fists shot up into the air. And there would be plenty of work for them both to do before long.

**All that to get some decent transforming clothes, no wonder no one likes fetch quests. Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter even if it jumped around a good bit. The reason being was the anime itself also jumped around a bit within these last two episodes, but hopefully that didn't ruin the experience for anyone. As always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Also, a shout out to the reader who suggested the thunder bird idea, you know who you are. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes are confronted with the consequences of a certain someone's willful ignorance. 'Til then.**


	10. Heroes, Blunders and Hot Springs

**Heroes, Blunders and Hot Springs**

Near the Northern Territory of Melromarc: Afternoon

"Thank you three again for your help in delivering this," said an old merchant in blue robes and a hat as he examined the jewel they'd just given him, "It really is a boon to our business to have someone capable of flying items over on short notice."

"Heroes got to eat too," said Darius as he accepted the payment for the delivery. Through a slight mix up, the merchant had forgotten to bring the item with him, so the accessories seller had requested aid from the Armory Hero's group for a rush delivery, something they'd gotten exceedingly good at. "By the way, what's the current situation like up in this part of the kingdom?"

"Well there isn't any calamities going on at the moment if that's what you mean," replied the Merchant, "But there has been word of an increase in refugee activity as of late coming from the country just across the border. Requests for relief supplies have also increased greatly in the last few days."

"What in the world could cause something like that?" Questioned Rifana, who was sharpening the edges on her mace.

"Well I only know what I've heard," said the merchant as he lowered his voice, "But word has it that the king was overthrown recently by a resistance who were unhappy with the high taxes which had been levied. But what makes it hard to believe entirely is that there are wild rumors about someone wielding a powerful bow who helped them."

"Itsuki," said Darius with a hand on his chin, "but why would he be all the way up in another country?"

"As I said they're mostly just wild rumors I've heard through the grapevine," said the Merchant as he turned to take his leave, "But if you are looking for work up here, I'd suggest keeping away from the border. It's been hard to trade there recently." He said no more as he walked off, leaving the group deep in thought, well except for Johann who was currently stuffing his face with the meat they'd had as part of their lunch.

"What are you thinking Darius," questioned Rifana after flicking Johann on the head to make him eat slower.

"It might be worth checking out just to see if we can't confirm what Itsuki's been up to this whole time," said Darius, "But on the other hand, we might get mixed up in a possible international incident if we run into trouble at the border. Either way it'd probably be best to talk it over with Naofumi and see if we shouldn't head up there next."

"The more heroes the better I suppose," said Rifana, not really sure what they should do with the new information either.

"Why do we keep hanging around the Shield Hero anyway?" Questioned Johann as he finished his food, "I mean sure, he's let you copy all of the shields he's gotten so far and I know he'll be fighting alongside us during the wave, but that's about it."

"Are you bringing this up because you don't want to be in the same room with Filo again," said Rifana with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it's not just that stupid Filolial-ow," Johann said before being flicked on the head by Darius next, "It just seems like we waste a lot of time flying all the way back to wherever he's at just to do a day or so worth of business with him then we split up again. But there are three other cardinal heroes you could be meeting with to copy their abilities and to do some 'actual' heroic quests."

"We do go monster hunting," The Armory Hero pointed out, "I think you can count those as quests. Also, do you really want to meet the Spear Hero and his royal cheerleader again?"

"Okay I'll give you that one, Spear Guy sucks," said Johann, "But the Bow Hero and the Sword Hero are both out there doing actual hero deeds while we're busy trying to make ends meat doing small time jobs with 'the savior of the heavenly fowl.'"

"Those small time jobs pay for all the food you scarf down," said Rifana with her arms crossed, "And the Shield Hero also saved my best friend from death as a slave, so you'd better watch what you say about him." The dragon boy frowned at this and looked to Darius, likely hoping for a different answer.

"We hang around with Naofumi because most anyone else wouldn't," explained the Armory Hero, "And the reason most others don't is that the king of this country has had it out for him since he got here. He was clearly framed for a crime he didn't commit and that has left him with very few people he can call his allies, which is why he needs all the friends he can get. So to answer your question, we stick around with the Shield Hero because it's the right thing to do, even if everyone else thinks otherwise because that's what a hero does. We stand up for what we know to be right when no one else will and we help others in need if we can. Just because we're not fighting village destroying beasts or tearing through waves upon waves of enemy soldiers doesn't mean we aren't doing anything heroic."

"So I guess that means the Shield Hero would be lost without us," said Johann as he put his hands behind his head with a smirk, "Yeah I think that makes sense."

"That's not what I'm saying," said the Armory Hero, "as I've told you before the Shield Hero is part of the four cardinal heroes who are normally called, meaning he has the potential to be just as powerful as the other three. We need each other if we're going to survive in this world."

"I guess if you say so," sighed Johann as they continued walking, now in relative silence. It didn't last long, though, as Rifana's ears suddenly picked up a soft sound coming from a nearby alley.

"Do you guys hear that?" Questioned the weasel girl as she turned her head to look down the alley. The Armory Hero and the dragon boy peeked down where she was indicating and noticed someone apparently trembling in the shadows. It was a girl with dark hair dressed in a rather scanty dress with a short skirt and short sleeves, making it relatively obvious what her profession probably was.

"Is it really you," she said with a voice that was filled with half hope and half dread, "are you the one the rumors are about?"

"You'll have to be a bit more specific," said Darius as he knelt down to her level, "there are a lot of rumors going around about us lately."

"The Merciful Dragon Knight," she said, "you're wearing light armor and a white scarf cape. You match the description perfectly."

"I don't know about knight," said Darius before pointing a thumb at Johann, "But I do ride around on a dragon. Though the real question here is how did you wind up in this alley in the first place and what would you need a dragon knight for?"

"Well first, I should probably tell you my name," she said, "I'm Rino and until about a month and a half ago, I was an adventurer."

"It didn't work out by the looks of it," said Rifana as she indicated the slave crest on Rino's chest, "Did you pick a fight with a powerful nobleman."

"No," she said, "I was actually invited to be a member of the Spear Hero's party."

"Motoyasu's party," said Darius with a good bit of surprise in his voice, "But that guy was acting like slavery is the last thing a hero should be involved in, are you telling me he sold you?!"

"It wasn't Sir Motoyasu," replied Rino, "It was his party member Myne who tricked me. I called attention to the fact that neither she nor any of the Spear Hero's other party members actually helped him. They were content to stand by and simply cheer him on while he did all the fighting. I actually tried to help, but Myne felt threatened or simply didn't want to face the truth, so she tricked me and sold into me slavery. The next time I saw the Spear Hero, I tried calling out to him but he acted like he didn't recognize me or even hear me."

Tears had been welling up the entire time she spoke and as she finished the last part of her story, she broke down. Rifana was quick to console her with a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What do you think Darius," asked the weasel girl in a neutral but dangerous tone.

"I take it you've been ordered not to lie," said Darius. Rino responded with a quick nod of her head. "Have you told anyone else about what happened?"

"Even if I did, everyone would assume the princess had a good reason for selling me or wouldn't believe that I was part of the Spear Hero's party in the first place," said Rino, "The only reason I thought you might listen to me is because all of the rumors say you're a good soul."

"Well I at least know the truth about that royal bitch, and since you've got that crest, we've got no reason to doubt anything you've said." The Armory Hero then conjured a small bottle in his hand with a purple liquid inside.

"Is that what I think it is?" Questioned Rifana with a hopeful look on her face.

"The solvent for slave crests," explained Darius as he pulled the top off, "I nicked some when the slave merchant, Beloukas, wasn't looking. Figured he wouldn't notice given that he's usually applying crests instead of removing them." He then held the bottle over Rino's crest and let a large drop fall. Like with Raphtalia's original crest, this one glowed for a moment before fading completely.

"It's gone," said Rino as more tears came to her eyes. She launched herself at Darius then and hugged his midsection, clearly overjoyed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Sir Knight!"

"I'm not really a knight, per se," corrected Darius as he patted her head gently, "just the Armory Hero."

"Knight or hero I don't care," she said with a smile, "You've freed me and I-."

"WHAT'S GOING ON OVER HERE!" Snarled a thin man dressed in loose fitting robes with a round cap that had a feather in it. Darius stood and helped Rino to her feet before answering.

"Just solving a little problem that's all," said the Armory Hero, "I take it you're the previous owner?"

"Previous, I'm the current owner you-CRACK!" He didn't finish his sentence as Rino had moved surprisingly quickly from her spot next to Darius and slammed her fist into the man's nose, likely breaking it.

"I am an adventurer!" She yelled as she threw another punch across the slave owner's jaw, "And I'm done with letting others get the best of me so easily! I let myself be swayed by a flirtatious guy and then let myself get tricked by people I knew were no good! But I'm free now and you won't use me as a harlot anymore!" She kept hitting the man as she said all of this, knocking him into the ground where his blood was now creating a small puddle.

"Oh don't just stand there you nitwits, help me!" The man called back to Darius's group as he tried to get the enraged girl off of him.

"Rifana," said Darius as he took up a spot next to the alley entrance, "Make sure that guy doesn't get away." The weasel girl nodded with a mischievous smile before heading over to Rino and blocking the other end of the alley. As for Johann and the Armory Hero, they stood watch at the entrance, making a show of sharpening their weapons to ward off anyone curious about the yelling until it finally faded. Shortly after that, Rifana guided a now tired Rino over to them, doing her best to clean the blood off of the girl's hands.

"Thank you again," said Rino between breaths, "the only reason he was able to keep me from escaping was because of that crest."

"Do we need to clean up the body?" Questioned Darius with a neutral tone. The former slave's outburst was a bit unexpected to him but not necessarily unwelcome, especially when he considered that he'd likely have done the same thing in her position.

"I stopped just before killing him," said Rino, "His face will never be the same again, but he'll live."

"None of us will object to finishing him off," said Johann with his hands behind his head, "And besides, getting eaten by a dragon isn't an unheard of way to die, especially when you're stupid enough to mess with a dragon knight."

"Thank you but no," said Rino with a shake of her head, "He did buy me and put me through a good bit of misery, but he wasn't the one responsible for selling me in the first place. Those girls in the Spear Hero's party are the ones to blame for what happened to me, and my own gullibility."

"Well you're free now," said Rifana, "What do you feel like doing next?"

"I need to get home," she said, "even while I was adventuring I kept in contact with my family, so they're likely worried sick. But I'm not sure where to start in getting the supplies I need."

"Well as it so happens," said Darius, "I might know a couple of people with some spare items and supplies. As for travel, well Johann here doesn't take much issue in carrying a third person for a bit, do you?"

"I mean she doesn't look like she weighs a lot, so why not," said the dragon boy with a shrug, before getting knocked on the head. "Ow, what'd I do now?"

"You don't talk about a girl's weight like that," said Rifana with a huff as she crossed her arms.

"Hey boss," whispered Johann, "why are girls always so crazy?"

"It's just one of life's great mysteries," Darius whispered back before getting a notification on his HUD. It was a communication request from Naofumi. "What's going on?"

"You know that village we were tasked with bringing a bunch of herbicide too?" Said the Shield Hero.

"I remember you needed a lot of it to deal with some type of infestation," replied the Armory Hero.

"Well it's a lot worse than we thought," he said, "We got plant monsters roaming around and the whole area is covered in vines. Filo, Raphtalia and I managed to kill the main monster but it really took it out of us. Do you think you could fly over and give the area some burn treatment?"

"We'll need to grab some supplies first," said Darius, "But if we move quickly we might be able to make it to where you're at by late night or very early morning. You see we just picked up a new passenger and it's already late afternoon."

"Just get here when you can," said Naofumi, "Filo and Rapthalia are keeping watch currently and I need to sleep, so I'll talk to you again when you get here."

"Sounds good," said Darius as the communication cut out. "Well it looks like we're going to have to make a detour."

"Is everything okay?" Questioned Rifana with a hint of concern in her voice.

"We got some plant monsters to burn," replied Darius, "But first we need to get Rino fixed up."

"Please, you've already done enough," said Rino, "I should be able to make it home on my own now."

"Not without some money and decent clothing," Darius pointed out, "And besides, we might be heading towards your home anyway, so why not come along for a bit." The adventurer still looked a little unsure, but eventually she nodded her head in agreement and they proceeded to the nearest clothing store.

Southwest Village: Early the Next Day

Naofumi had been enjoying a relatively good sleep, until the smell of something burning and a good bit of commotion caused him to wake up. "I knew they'd make it here early," said the Shield Hero as he rubbed his head, "But not this early." As he walked out of his tent, the Shield Hero noticed the sun hadn't even risen, but there was more than enough light outside of the village as a blue blaze ate away at the vines and plant monsters surrounding the village. After a moment of searching, he found Raphtalia and Filo who were standing near the village gate watching everything unfold.

"Oh, Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia as she noticed the Shield Hero, "Rifana and the others showed up just a little while ago. They've already gotten to work burning all of the vines that aren't attached to buildings."

"They didn't just fly in and start throwing flames all over the place did they?" Questioned Naofumi as he rubbed his eyes a bit.

"Actually they started by cutting all of the vines which were attached to any living structures," explained Raphtalia, "Then Rifana used earth magic to dig trenches or raise dirt walls to corral the flames. So now that the fire's going, it should burn back into itself until there's nothing left to burn." As she explained all of this, Darius and Johann came flying by to unleash another volley of flame attacks on some of the vines which hadn't caught fire yet.

"He did remember to tell everyone that this isn't a dragon attack right?" Questioned The Shield Hero, "Because I do not want to deal with another headache from a clumsy hero this morning."

"Well he made an announcement when he landed," said a dark-haired girl who'd been standing next to Raphtalia, "Rifana and I also spread the message for anyone who was still asleep when we arrived to avoid panic. He's even doing a few aerial acrobatics to amuse the children."

"Good enough I guess," said Naofumi as he pulled out some seeds and switched to his new mandragora shield, "Just so long as he doesn't burn down anything he shouldn't."

"He won't," said the girl, "He's far more responsible than the last hero I traveled with. By chance, are you the Shield Hero?"

"What about it?" asked Naofumi as he continued making adjustments to the seed from a menu produced by his shield.

"You just seem different from what everyone else says about you, though that's nothing new for me I suppose," remarked the girl as Johann suddenly landed in the center of the village.

"Alright," said Darius before hopping off of the dragon mount, "that should take care of all the vines and plant monsters blocking the streets and going down the hillsides, but you're still gonna need to clear the vines off of your homes by hand."

"That won't prove a problem now that all the dangerous creatures are gone," said the village chief, an older man with a short grey beard, as he bowed. "Thank you both, I had no idea the Savior of the Heavenly Fowl and the Merciful Dragon Knight worked together."

"Well the working title is actually 'Armory Hero,'" said Darius, "But I suppose I can't really complain about the other title."

"So that must mean that you are indeed the Shield Hero," said the Village Chief to Naofumi.

"It doesn't really matter either way, does it," said Naofumi as he made more adjustments to the seed he had.

"What happened here anyway?" Questioned Darius, "I'm no gardener but even I know these vines didn't grow naturally."

"What happened is Motoyasu can't read," said Naofumi, "this plant golem we've had to exterminate came from the same temple we visited not too long ago. You know the one that used to house a dangerous alchemist. Turns out it had a cursed seed in a maze with a very clear warning sign right next to it. Bet you anything it was that royal cunt's idea to take the seed and use it here."

"It was," said the dark-haired girl, "the temple was where they were headed when I was sold into slavery."

"Sorry, who are you exactly?" Questioned Naofumi as he finally looked up from what he was doing. The dark-haired girl was wearing a light red outfit with a combat skirt, long brown boots and gloves which went past her wrists.

"Oh right," said Darius as he put a hand on her shoulder, "This is Rino. We recently freed her from her slave owner after running into her in an alley. She's an adventurer who traveled with Motoyasu's party."

"Recently freed," repeated Naofumi before putting two and two together, "Wait, are you saying his party sold you into slavery?!"

"Motoyasu had no idea," said Rino as she explained what happened to her. Needless to say, neither Raphtalia nor the Shield Hero liked what they heard.

"So she can't even stand having party members that question her," said the Shield Hero, "And here I thought she just had a problem with me."

"It's just best to assume she's deranged at this point," said Darius, "And that she's got no actual interest in solving the kingdom's problems."

"Well at least we can clean up one mess," said Naofumi as he used his shield on the seed he'd just buried. In a matter of one to two minutes, a small tree had sprouted from the ground and was already bearing delicious-looking red fruit.

"Oh those look so tasty," said a drooling Filo before Johann pushed her aside.

"And it seems only right that the best worker get some," said the dragon boy with a smirk. He was quickly pushed back by an irritated Filo.

"You just burnt up a bunch of vines," argued Filo, "I actually helped kill the big monster and picked up the seeds!"

"But who was it that needed us to show up to finish the job!" Said Johann as the two monster children began pushing and pulling on the other, "I burnt up way more plant monsters then you did and that was after carrying three people a long distance in just a few hours!"

"I pulled a wagon with two people and a whole lot of full crates! It definitely weighed more than three people!" A pair of chains suddenly erupted from the ground to restrain them, courtesy of Darius, as Naofumi gave them both an irritated glare.

"If you don't settle down neither of you will be getting any," said the Shield Hero sternly before turning to address the villagers. "Anyway, I managed to reduce the potential for breeding and mutation on this plant while maximizing growth and productivity. In short, your village shouldn't have to worry about famine anymore."

"You have our everlasting gratitude sir heroes," said the village chief, "Not only did you spare us from disaster but you've given us a wonderful gift as well."

"I never said I was just giving this to you," remarked Naofumi, "I'll give you the seeds but only for the right price."

"Naofumi," said Darius with his arms crossed, "Now's not the time to be thinking about business."

"The villagers already paid us what little they had left for the extermination," added Raphtalia, "there's no money left to buy any of these."

"It's true, we have nothing left of value," said the disheartened village chief.

"Well you'd best get looking if you want anym-." The Shield Hero was interrupted by a pouch of coins being tossed to him.

"You have got to stop this 'I'm not a nice guy' act at some point," said Darius, "It's starting to grate on my nerves."

"I never said you had to pay for these Darius," said Naofumi with a frown.

"I'm only giving half the seeds I'm purchasing to the villagers here," explained Darius, "I've heard word that there's a need for relief supplies up North. As for the rest of the seeds, I think the villagers would be willing to part with a little excess fruit that would undoubtedly sell on the market."

"He does have a point," said the village chief with a hand on his chin, "What would you say to exchanging some of your seeds for our fruit?" The Shield Hero made a show of thinking about it for a moment.

Hot Springs Town: The Next Day

In the end, Naofumi was able to walk away with a small payday and a mass of the new fruit and seeds he'd created. As luck would have it, the specimens did fetch a good price after the accessories seller, Hickwaal, got a good look at them and purchased the entire stock. Though the pay on that was split between Darius and Naofumi as they were technically business partners and the Armory Hero said it offset the cost of the Shield Hero being 'unnecessarily dickish' this time around. Hickwaal had then offered them another job for transporting some goods to an Inn at a hot springs town.

Darius wanted to give the job to Naofumi as he felt it was best to head back up North as soon as possible, but was quickly outvoted by Rifana and Johann when they heard the part about hot springs. Naofumi's group were also delighted by the idea of spending the night in a hot springs town once they got a good look at it. Which is how Darius found himself soaking in a large natural spring with a swimming dragon boy and the Shield Hero. "You know of all the things I expected to find in this world, a hot springs town wasn't one of them," said Naofumi.

"I often forget these things are big in Japan," remarked Darius, "And I suppose I can see why. Nothing like some hot tub temperature water to loosen the muscles a bit."

"I didn't think there was water I'd actually enjoy being in," cheered Johann as he happily swam from one end of the spring to the other.

"You're supposed to relax in these things not zip around in the water!" called Darius, getting an 'aw man' out of the dragon boy.

"So they don't have springs like this in your version of America?" Questioned Naofumi.

"Not a lot of natural springs, no," replied Darius as he leaned against the side, "the ones we do have are few and far between and so hot that they'd boil you alive long before you could relax. Not to mention it's something of a cultural difference as well, no indecent exposure and all that."

"Speaking of cultural differences, what's it like living with a bunch of drones watching your every move?" Asked the Shield Hero.

"Well to put it simply," said Darius, "No one can make fun of you for being a shut in because everyone's a shut in to one degree or another in a police state. Or at least it was a police state in everything but name. Despite that the number of false accusations was surprisingly low, so it was also kind of an 'us against them' scenario."

"No one wants to draw attention to themselves," mused Naofumi, "that's hard to imagine. Where I come from is pretty much a regular modern city with the usual ups and downs, nothing too exciting really."

"Well when you think about it, neither of us was that exciting until we came here," the Armory Hero pointed out, "now we're businessmen, adventurers and heroes in a kingdom that hates our guts."

"That reminds me," said Naofumi, "Rifana told Rapthtalia about how you freed Rino. Did you know she wouldn't kill her slave owner?"

"It wasn't really a matter of knowing if she would or wouldn't," said Darius, "I freed her and she took that chance to strike back at the one abusing her. Another dead slave owner wouldn't have lost me any sleep, just like I haven't lost sleep after watching Rifana stab that nobleman to death."

"And you gave me crap about charging those villagers for the seeds I made," said Naofumi.

"Because they made a simple mistake in trusting a hero instead of fact checking where he got that seed," explained Darius, "they more than paid for that mistake with the infestation we cleared up. So it seemed a bit excessive to be charging them after they'd suffered through so much already, especially when we consider that you spared a bunch of bandits who threatened you and your party's lives."

"They paid for their lives with all they had," said Naofumi, "It was more beneficial that way."

"Granted," said Darius, "but the guards still might have let them out after they mentioned being captured by the Shield Hero. In my opinion it would've been more beneficial in the long run to simply end them. That's the policy me and Rifana have been going with up to this point when it comes to extra-nasty bandits."

"And people think you're the nicer out of the two of us," remarked Naofumi with a raised eyebrow. "Is Rifana really okay with ending lives like that?"

"Need I remind you that her and Raphtalia both were imprisoned and tortured by a racist piece of shit nobleman," said Darius, "and that this is a medieval society where people like that are answerable only to the crown, you know the same one that's been giving you the smear treatment. I've never forced her to kill anyone. She's always used her own judgement before taking a life and that same judgement is what she's going to have to rely on when the both of us are gone."

"I suppose you got something of a point," admitted the Shield Hero, "Once all the waves are done, we'll be heading back to our worlds and they'll need to get along without us."

"I'm not saying my approach is the best," said Darius, "it's very possible I'll end the wrong piece of shit and it'll wind up being the end of me later on. But when you can't rely on those in power to dispense justice fairly, what else can you do?"

"Be your own hero," suggested Naofumi with a shrug before the two fell into a short but comfortable silence.

"But on to a lighter subject," said Darius after a moment, "what do you think the girls are talking about over there?"

"How would I know," said the Shield Hero with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh like you haven't thought about what Raphtalia's doing while she's in one of these things," said Darius with a smirk.

"She's doing the same thing we're doing," said Naofumi, "what's there to think about?"

"Well let's see," said Darius as he counted off on his fingers, "she's an animal girl, which I don't think I need to remind you is a dream for many Otaku like us, she's well-proportioned and given that this is a medieval-like society, probably legal, at least in a physical sense."

"You'd best not be thinking about hitting on her," growled Naofumi with an odd hostility.

"Oh right, she's like your daughter," said Darius, "In which case, can I have permission to hit on her, Dad."

"No dude," said Naofumi, "You just finished saying we won't be around and now you're talking about hitting on her."

"There's no rule that we can't be friends with benefits until then," Darius replied while quirking his eyebrows. "Besides, you're not gonna hit on her."

"You're freakin' unbelievable, you know that." Said Naofumi with a frown. Darius's only response was him breaking into a fit of laughter.

While this was going on, the girls were having a conversation of their own, though it was a lot less serious. Filo was splashing around happily while Rino, Raphtalia and Rifana soaked peacefully and discussed what was on their minds.

"So what's the deal with you and Filo lately," whispered Rifana, "You two have been arguing over all kinds of little issues lately."

"It's nothing," said Rapthalia, "she's just been so clingy with Master Naofumi lately and she's acting spoiled because of it."

"Is that the real problem?" Questioned Rifana with a knowing look, "Or are you possibly just the slightest bit jealous?"

"I AM NOT!" exclaimed Rapthtalia as she stood up, splashing water everywhere while her face flushed red from an entirely different source than the hot springs.

"Uh huh," said Rifana with a smug look on her face, "I remember you once said something about marrying the Shield Hero one day."

"I remember you said something like that yourself," said Raphtalia as she sat back down in the water.

"True, but now that I've actually met all of the heroes, well," Rifana said with a hand to her chin, "They seem a lot less romantic than the stories make them out to be."

"This coming from the girl who was always talking about boys and romance," remarked Raphtalia, "And here I thought you had a special place in your heart for Darius."

"Maybe I do," said Rifana as she thought about it for a bit, "Unless you're telling me that you've actually got your eyes on him."

"W-what, no," exclaimed Raphtalia, "I mean he's nice and a really great guy but-."

"But he's not Naofumi," finished Rifana, "I've known you long enough to know when something's on your mind. Why don't I tell you a little secret," the weasel girl whispered the story of the springs she'd read about earlier to Raphtalia.

"R-really success in love!" exclaimed the raccoon girl, "that means if Naofumi and I-wait I didn't mean!"

"Uh huh," said Rifana triumphantly, "that's what I thought. But just to be fair, I will tell you another little secret. I actually do kind of like Darius." Raphtalia blinked a few times in response to this, not really sure what to say.

"You do, but then why haven't you, ya know," questioned the confused raccoon girl.

"Because I doubt he'd like me back, in that way," said Rifana with a slight slump to her shoulders, "thanks to him I've become stronger and more confident in myself than I've ever been, I'm an actual warrior now. But in becoming that, I don't really feel like I'm an ideal woman anymore."

"Why would you think that?" Questioned Raphtalia, surprised to hear this from her formerly romantic friend.

"I use a mace Raphtalia," replied the weasel girl, "I've beaten up men twice my size and made it clear I don't like being hit on by creeps. The thought of actually wearing a dress seems ridiculous to me now and on top of that, the first thing Darius ever saw me do was stab a man to death. I'm probably the furthest thing from a fair maiden in most people's eyes. I might be Darius's partner, but I'm not a life partner."

Raphtalia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was her romantically-minded friend actually giving up on romance? No, there had to be a way to fix this for the both of them. "Rifana," she said, "let's just think about this for a moment. My Mother married my Dad after he gave her a gift, right?"

"Yes, but I don't see how that helps us here," said Rifana, "We'd have to come up with a pretty spectacular gift to get their thick-headed attention, especially Naofumi's."

"I know just the thing," said Raphtalia, "I overheard some of the other guests at the Inn mention a little substance called Lachium. It can actually be found nearby, but we'll need to wait until everyone's gone to sleep to go looking for it." Now Rifana couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was her goody two-shoes friend who barely understood the concept of getting in trouble at one point, suggesting they sneak out to do this. Guess she wasn't the only one who's changed a bit.

"Where do we need to go?" Asked Rifana before they were interrupted by Rino yelling for some help washing Filo's hair.

Hot Springs Town Mountainside: That Night

"So if I'm understanding this correctly," said Rifana as she and Raphtalia walked along a mountain path just outside of the town, "this Lachium stuff you heard about is collected by a Gaggoko bird and if we find the nest, we find the Lachium."

"That's what I've heard," said Raphtalia, "a number of the birds roost outside of the town, so it shouldn't be too hard to find."

"In theory," said Rifana, "though I'm not entirely sure how a stone is supposed to be a good gift for someone."

"Well according to legend," explained Raphtalia, "Lachium can be made into a charm which can make one very successful in love when given as a gift."

"We make love charms out of them?" Questioned Rifana, "Assuming that works, wouldn't it kind of be cheating in a way?"

"It's a way for us to express our true feelings," said Raphtalia, "I'm certain that even if it doesn't work they'll understand and then we can-well we'll have to do something besides kiss, because otherwise we'll get pregnant!" The raccoon girl had become incredibly flushed as she mentioned this last part.

"You still believe that," laughed Rifana, "demi-humans may grow fast but we don't get pregnant from just kissing."

"W-we don't," said Raphtalia in slight disbelief, "You mean I could've been kissing Master Naofumi this whole time?!"

"Sorry, I thought someone would've told you by now," said Rifana, "that's just something my Mother tried to tell me so I wouldn't go around kissing any boy that was nice to me. I never realized you took it so seriously."

"So it's okay for me and Master Naofumi too-," Raphtalia stuttered out until another voice interrupted her.

"What's this about master," said Filo. The little Filolial had been listening to part of the conversation while sitting on a small boulder. Neither of them had noticed because of the certain subject they'd just been discussing.

"F-Filo, why are you up here?!" Asked Raphtalia in a slightly panicked voice.

"The same reason as you two," said Filo, "for the eggs."

"Eggs?" repeated Rifana, "Are you talking about the eggs of a Gaggoko bird?"

"Sure am," said Filo, "I was told by the old man at the Inn that Gaggoko eggs are a rare delicacy."

"Oh so that's all-," Raphtalia was about to say until Filo mentioned the next part.

"I'm certain master will like me even more if I bring him some of the eggs," said Filo, "He'll pet me and brush my hair and maybe he'll even become my mate for life!"

"M-mate," stammered Raphtalia, "as in marriage?" 'I didn't know she had actually planned so far ahead!'

"I doubt there'll be enough to share though, so bye!" said Filo excitedly as she took off down the mountain trail.

"Hey wait up!" exclaimed Raphtalia as she raced after Filo with Rifana close behind. 'So this is what all the fuss is about,' thought the weasel girl, 'Raphtalia thinks she needs to be in competition with a Filolial that's not even a full month old for the Shield Hero's affection!' She'd always heard that love could make people do crazy things, but something about all of this just seemed, well, stupid. Regardless, the weasel girl still found herself racing behind Raphtalia in an attempt to catch up to the winged girl.

"Ha ha, Raphtalia's a slow poke," sang Filo as she turned around and ran backwards for a moment. But this also meant she wasn't watching her footing or what was behind her.

"Filo look out!" exclaimed Raphtalia as the blond girl landed on the ground and stepped backward, right off of a cliff. The little girl let out a cry of surprise as her raccoon companion managed to cross the short distance and grab a hold of her hand. But, she leaned too far forward and would've fallen over the cliff herself if not for Rifana grabbing her and pulling them both back with her considerable strength. The end result was the three of them landing in a groaning heap on the ground.

"Ow," said Filo, "are you okay Raphtalia?" Her raccoon-eared friend took a moment to rub her tail before answering.

"I landed on my tail," she replied, "But other than that I'm alright."

"Well since you two are alright, could you both get off of me," said Rifana.

"Oh, sorry," said Raphtalia as they helped the weasel girl to her feet. Unbeknownst to them, however, their little save at the cliff caused some of the stones to fall off and land in the eye of a rather nasty sleeping boar monster. But they figured it out soon enough when the large creature began snorting.

"Uh, what's that," said Filo as they noticed the angry creature.

"Something we should be running from!" Exclaimed Rifana as the three of them turned tail and fled up a different trail. This didn't deter the surprisingly mobile creature, however, as it charged up the cliff side after them.

The trio ran for several yards from the charging boar as they moved farther and farther up the trail before arriving at another problem. Some of the trail was missing, leaving a massive drop in front of them while an angry boar larger than a ground dragon was gaining on them from behind. "Raphtalia, Rifana," said Filo as she switched into her Filolial form, "grab on quick!" The demi-human girls didn't need any encouragement as they leapt onto her back and held on tight. The bird girl jumped the gap with all of her might and just managed to clear the gap.

The pursuing giant boar stopped short on the other side, snorting angrily at its escaped prey. "Well that was kinda scary," commented Filo as she switched back to her child form.

"Yeah, but I guess it does make us even now," said Raphtalia as she helped the bird girl to her feet.

"And I got more good news," said Rifana as she stared at something in the distance, "Does that look like our bird?" Filo and Raphtalia looked where she was pointing to see a bird almost as large as Filo's Filolial form sitting in a giant nest. It had brown feathers with a red stomach and green markings on its head with a short, round beak. Any doubts as to its identity were put to rest by the rising sun glinting off of a shiny stone sticking out of the nest.

"That has to be it, let's go," said Raphtalia as the three of them slid down the hill before dropping to their stomachs.

"Yummy eggs, yummy eggs," whispered Filo as the three of them crawled along the ground towards the large avian creature. The Gaggoko glanced at them lazily as Raphtalia reached for the Lachium before suddenly flapping its wings frantically.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to scare you," said Raphtalia, "I just need that little stone in your nest."

"Uh Raphtalia, it's not squawking at us," said Rifana as the other two looked behind them. Some way, somehow the giant boar from earlier had found a way around and followed them all the way to the Gaggoko's nest. The snorting beast charged at its prey once again as everyone rolled out of the way while the bird took flight. The boar's charge was not without casualties, however, as it tore through the nest, destroying all of the eggs and sending the glinting stone flying.

"No, the Lachium!" exclaimed Raphtalia as she reached toward the sky. Meanwhile Filo was mourning the now ruined eggs. Rifana simply dusted herself off in a huff as the boar readied to charge them again.

"Alright, are either of you as fed up with this as I am," said Rifana as she pulled out her mace and shot a menacing glare at the boar.

"Yes," both Filo and Raphtalia answered as they also glared daggers at the boar. Shortly after that, it was the boar who was running and it didn't make it very far in the end.

Hot Springs Town: Later That Morning

Despite searching the rest of the area, they couldn't find any other nests or the Lachium which had been sent flying. So, to avoid coming back empty handed, they agreed to carry the boar back into the town with them. "I guess this is what we get for trying to force things instead of letting them happen naturally," said Rifana as they walked down a set of stone steps.

"Well maybe we can still make a good meal for Naofumi and Darius out of this," said Raphtalia, "It's not what we'd hoped for, but Mom always said it's the thought that counts."

"Hey you three!" said a couple of the townsfolk as they came rushing over. One was wearing a green shirt while the other had a brown shirt, "You wouldn't happen to be carrying a silver razorback there with you?"

"You mean like the boar mentioned on the fountain?" Questioned Rifana.

"Yes, they're very valuable because we often use them in our town rituals," explained the man in the green shirt, "Would you be willing to give it to us?"

"We'll pay really good money for it, so please," begged the man in the brown shirt.

"You'll give us money for this," said Raphtalia as an idea formed in her mind. Rifana and Filo were on board as well as the trio all nodded in agreement.

The Boys Room at the Inn: Later

"What's the occasion for this," asked Naofumi as he looked at the small hammer Raphtalia and Filo had gifted to him.

"Well Filo and I thought it would help you out when you're crafting metals," explained the raccoon girl.

"I mean it will, but this looks like it was expensive," observed the Shield Hero as he examined the tool.

"It's our way of saying thanks for always taking care of us," said Raphtalia, "So even if it was a little pricey, it's the least we could do."

"It's the same for me," said Rifana as Darius examined the belt with pouches she'd gotten for him, "The white gem in that belt is supposed to provide a little extra mana and while you probably don't need it, those pouches can hold all kinds of other items."

"They provide a good aesthetic if nothing else," said the Armory Hero as he put the belt around his waist, "I'll make good use of it, so thank you Rifana." He patted her head then, causing her tail to wag a bit. Naofumi did the same with Filo and Raphtalia.

"Ah, where's my gift," whined Johann as he crossed his arms in disappointment.

"Tell you what," said Naofumi, "the four of you go take a dip in the hot springs. We'll handle packing up here."

"Oh thank you master!" exclaimed Filo as she gave Naofumi a hug before rushing off with Raphtalia close behind. Rifana and Johann glanced at Darius for a moment, who answered with a simple nod. The weasel girl gave him a quick hug before she and the dragon boy rushed down the hall after their friends.

"They can all be really cute when they want to be," noted Darius.

"I'm just glad Raphtalia and Filo seem to be getting along again," said Naofumi, "I still can't figure out what the problem was to begin with."

"Just remember to pat Raphtalia's head a little more often and it shouldn't happen again," suggested Darius.

"If you say so," said the Shield Hero, still not really understanding, "Anyway, we'd best get moving. That wagon isn't going to pack itself."

"Yep, back to work," said Darius as the two heroes began the process of gathering everything up.

The Three Heroes Church: That Night

Malty Melromarc was irritated, which wasn't anything technically new, but what was new was the source of her irritation. 'How dare they humiliate us,' thought the scheming princess as she rubbed the spot on her back where that despicable dragon had whipped her with its tail. Even after some magic healing treatments she could still see the outline on her back and feel a small bit of residual pain. 'It was supposed to be easy: summon only three of the heroes or, in the event the Shield Hero was summoned, destroy his reputation so that no one would party up with him. Yet somehow he'd not only found a strong party member but was being aided by a 'fifth' cardinal hero who showed up from out of nowhere with a party of his own!'

The royal gritted her teeth in frustration as she continued to tap her foot impatiently, the sound echoing throughout the halls of the church. Finally, one of the church mages wearing dark robes emerged from around the corner. "It took you long enough," said the princess with her arms crossed, "so did you find anything out or not?"

"As you know, many of the exploits of the Shield Hero were removed during the establishment of the Three Heroes Church, so it was difficult to pinpoint anything concrete," explained the mage, "However, our sources in Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden were able to acquire some information as to who this 'Armory Hero' actually is."

"Well spit it out already, is he a cardinal hero or isn't he," demanded Malty.

"The sources match what he told the other heroes," said the Church Mage, "There has indeed been an Armory Hero in the past but his appearances were few and far between. The original wasn't even a Cardinal Hero at first until he was bestowed the status by the other four heroes. This would explain why he is only summoned under certain conditions."

"And what sort of conditions have brought this one here?" Questioned Malty.

"We only have a working theory so far but it is also the most plausible at the moment," said the Mage, "about the same week the other cardinal heroes were summoned, one of our staunchest supporters, Idol Rabier, was reported killed at his mansion along with most of his guards."

"The scum did mention something about a noble pissing him off when he was threatening my father," said the princess with a hand to her chin, "but what does that have to do with how he got here?"

"The few remaining guards all reported that the massacre was caused by a mysterious magic weaver who was capable of summoning weapons at will," Said the Mage, "they also reported that he was found wandering down the road on foot the day before, but what was strange was that he seemed to have a limited knowledge of this world already."

"But how does that tell us anything about him that we don't already know?" Questioned Malty with mounting frustration.

"Because one week before we performed the ritual which summoned the Devil of the Shield with the other heroes, we attempted to summon only three of the heroes with a slightly different ritual."

"Yes I recall the attempt," said the princess, "I recall it being an absolute failure that did nothing other than create a light which shot off into the distance."

"But what if the ritual wasn't a failure," asked the Mage, "what if, in theory, the ritual succeeded in a way we did not anticipate? Given that there's much we don't know about the ancient magic used it's highly plausible that the Armory Hero was summoned by the first ritual in a different location in Melromarc, where he met the Filolial Queen and learned about this land."

"So in other words we have your botched ritual to thank for providing that shield wielding criminal with an ally," said Malty with even more irritation.

"We are already taking steps to insure his demise," said the mage, "it was our own error that brought him here and God in his mercy shall provide us with a way to destroy both him and the devil of the Shield."

"Just don't mess it up again," said Malty as she turned to leave. 'They'll both pay. Melromarc only needs three heroes and soon enough that's all that will be left.'

**Wow, this one turned out surprisingly lengthy but it is here and hopefully you all enjoyed it. For those wondering, Darius's group will be splitting off from Naofumi's group for the next chapter or two, so don't worry too much about that. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Darius's group gets into some nasty business up North and runs into an old friend. 'Til next time.**


	11. A Revolution for the Revolution

**A Revolution for The Revolution**

Approaching the Northern Border of Melromarc

"So how did you know the Gengar Shield could even do this?" Questioned Rifana as she glanced at the copied shield on Darius's right hip. They'd recently split with Naofumi's party once again in order to drop Rino off. Apparently there was some sort of an epidemic happening in the East, which the Shield Hero had decided needed to be investigated.

The Armory Hero figured he should be more than enough to handle a sickness, and since they were dropping Rino off up North it just seemed more convenient to go ahead and start his investigation on the refugee issue at the border. It was also during their flight that Darius decided to test a theory of his with the Gengar Shield.

"From what Naofumi and the Stats screen tell me," explained the cardinal hero, "The voice gengars are able to project thoughts into people's heads with their ability. So I figured 'if they can project thoughts into people's heads, maybe I can project my own thoughts out of the Gengar shield.' The result, road music." In short, he was using the megaphone-looking shield to project music.

"That's great and all," said Rifana, "But I don't even recognize some of the instruments in, whatever kind of music this is."

"Rock n' Roll, Old Country, Classical, Punk Rock, Irish Punk Rock," Darius named off the first few that came to his mind, "There's a laundry list of musical genres back in my world. What we are currently listening too is the band known as AC/DC because Rock 'n Roll ain't noise pollution."

"You're gonna have to explain that one to me," said the weasel girl, "because I don't think I understand a single word of what you're talking about."

"I think it's soothing," said Johann as they descended from the sky a bit to get a better look at the landscape.

"You are the only person I've ever met that would call AC/DC soothing," commented Darius as he took note of a town further below, "Let's check that spot out." Johann complied as they dropped in altitude, circling until they landed at the village entrance. But instead of being greeted by the sight of yelling, surprised gasps, or people cheering at the sight of them, the only sound that met them was silence as soon as the Gengar shield was shut-off.

"Well that's not foreboding at all," said Rifana sarcastically as she and Darius hopped off of Johann, who reverted to his human form.

"It probably means the issue up here is worse than we thought," said the Armory Hero as they began walking the town. It hadn't been quite as visible from the air, but now that they were up close the pitiful condition of everything was more than obvious. Buildings were in all states of disrepair with broken roofs, windows, and cracks in the foundations or along the walls. Some were so bad they'd collapsed in on themselves, leaving nothing more than a structure full of rubble. Even the watchtower looked like it could collapse at any moment. The streets were empty and no signs of life could be seen anywhere.

"Man this place is a dump," commented Johann as he lightly kicked a nearby wall, only for it to collapse and open a small hole, "Uh, it was like that already."

"What have we told you about wrecking property," hissed Rifana, "that's someone's home you just put a hole in!"

"I don't think it'll make much of a difference at the moment," said Darius as he peeked into the building with the least amount of disrepair, "this whole place is probably abandoned."

"Do you think they all evacuated during the last wave?" Suggested Rifana.

"Hard to say," replied the Armory Hero, "It could've been the wave or they might've run out of whatever allowed them to live up here, or bandits might be responsible. Whatever the case, we're just going to have to keep going and see if we find anyone further up." Both of his party members nodded in agreement as they finished their search of the abandoned town before taking to the skies again.

The story was similar in a couple of the other villages they passed, and the ones that weren't abandoned where charging exorbitant fees for even basic goods and services. They found out the reason why upon reaching the stone wall at the border. According to one of the guards, who they'd had to pay a toll too despite showing their merchant's pass, the taxes had been raised incredibly high by the local lord recently. But it wasn't until they crossed the border and arrived in another abandoned town that the whole story was explained to them.

"I think I see some people moving down there," said Johann as they approached the first village in the Northern country.

"Remember to land out of sight," reminded Darius, "the last thing we need is people running in terror before we can get some answers."

"Yeah yeah," said the dragon boy as they landed behind one of the larger buildings and dismounted. Johann quickly shifted to his child form as they walked around the corner. The people they assumed were villagers gathered around them, all holding various items in their hands. It didn't take long for Rifana to notice they all had some kind of wrap or cloth covering on their heads.

"Darius, I don't think these people come from this area," she whispered as one of the male villagers, a man with a white wrap on his head and a blue shirt, spoke up.

"Please dear adventurers," said the man as he held up a small stone statue, "would you be willing to take this in exchange for something to eat?" The rest of the people with him all had various items including a wooden spoon, quality fire wood, a broom and anything else that seemed to be valuable to whatever small degree.

"My appraisal ability works best with weapons, not so much with random items," explained Darius, "do you have any form of currency at all?"

"I'm afraid we don't have any money," said the lead man, "We're refugees you see. We've been forced to flee our country and these items here are about all we have left."

"What's happening up there to bring you all the way to the border?" Questioned Rifana.

"The previous king of our country had raised the taxes to an amount which was difficult to pay," explained another one of the refugees, a man with a brown cloth cap. "Word is that a group of adventurers were sent from this country to aid us by putting together a resistance." Darius pondered this bit of news for a moment.

"By chance, were these adventurers led by someone wielding an incredibly powerful bow?" Questioned the Armory Hero.

"From what I understand, yes," replied the lead villager, "the revolution did succeed and our lives got better for a short time. But then the revolutionaries went and hiked up the taxes as well. Not only that, mercenaries have begun showing up and silencing any voices of dissent. What you see here is everyone else left from our village, the rest were all killed."

"It does take a fair bit of money to run a country," mused Darius, "but there's a definite problem when they start silencing dissent."

"I'm afraid the reasoning behind the revolution's sudden turn is beyond me," said the refugee leader, "when I think about it, maybe the previous king needed a lot of money to run the country as well. Either way we can't go back there now."

"What should we do," whispered Rifana as the Armory Hero stared off into the distance in thought.

"Let's pull out the large camping pot," he said at last, "I recall you packed extra food for this trip." Rifana nodded as Darius summoned the pot from his inventory while Rifana laid out a blanket for him to also summon a number of ingredients. A few minutes later, they were handing out bowls of soup as well as some of the fruit they'd picked up from the formerly vine-covered village.

"Boooss," whispered Johann with a slight groan, "what are we gonna eat if we give away all of our food?"

"Relax Johann," replied the cardinal hero, "we can always buy some from the next town over or hunt down some monster meat. These villagers don't have the same luxury, however, so consider this a small sacrifice for a greater good."

"Fine," pouted Johann with his arms crossed, "But I want an extra helping at dinner this evening."

"We'll see what we can do about that," said Darius as they watched the refugees finish their meals.

"Thank you all again," said the refugee leader as the party started tidying up, "I don't know how much farther we could've made it without some food."

"Well take this with you too," said Darius as he conjured a small bag of gold coins and tossed it to the man, "I don't know Melromarc's policy on refugees so that should tide you over for at least a little bit. Just find work as soon as you can and hopefully you'll be alright."

"We'll be more than alright with this," said the refugee leader as he counted some of the coins, "we can actually afford a few meals now, how can we ever repay you kind adventurers?"

"Just spread the word a bit about what's happening up here," replied the Armory Hero, "It's best the king knows that his adventurers only offered a temporary solution."

"We'll do so gladly," said the refugee leader as they prepared to leave, "safe travels to all of you." The villagers continued on then, seeming much happier than when they first arrived.

"I hope handouts aren't how we're going to solve the problem in this country," commented Rifana, "We've made a fair bit of money but not enough to just be throwing out small bags of gold to everyone."

"We haven't," said Darius, "but the current rulers have. With some persuasion I imagine they'd be filling a bit more charitable."

"It's still strange to think about," said Rifana, "Why would revolutionaries who were angry about being overtaxed turn around and begin doing exactly the same thing?"

"There's a few possible reasons," said the cardinal hero as he held up a few fingers, "One: the revolutionaries might've inherited some financial issues from the monarchy they ousted and found they have no choice but to hike up the taxes. Two: they've lost sight of what they were fighting for in the first place and don't realize they've become what they hated or three, and what seems to be most likely, is that the revolutionary's intentions were not as pure as everyone originally thought."

"I suppose that makes sense given that mercenaries are being used to quell dissent," said Rifana, "But I guess the best thing to do is go see for ourselves."

"Well what are we waiting for?!" exclaimed Johann as he morphed into his dragon form, "It sounds like we're running into a fight and I feel like crunching down on some bandits or mercenaries or whatever they're supposed to be called."

"Let's just play it safe for now and have a look first," said Darius as he and Rifana climbed onto Johann's back and took off into the sky once again.

Northern Village: Some Time Later

The story was the same at a number of other villages they flew over. Some were in better states of repair and there were even some that actually had people in them. But because of the high taxes, all the goods were overpriced which was going to make it more difficult to purchase supplies while they were in the area. One thing did finally fall in the party's favor, however, when they got word of another nearby village experiencing raids by bandits. Whether the bandits were the same as the Revolutionary's mercenaries or not was up for debate but one thing was certain. The lead needed to be investigated.

So taking advantage of Johann's airborne ability once again, the party arrived at their destination to find that a raid was already in progress. "I guess we can ask the bandits themselves who they're working for," remarked Darius as he conjured a simple but exotic double-bladed staff in his right hand.

"Or we might consider asking the one who's kicking their asses," Rifana pointed out as her sharp eyes picked up a cloaked figure battling the bandits closer to the center of the village. Whoever it was, they seemed to be buying time for the remaining villagers to evacuate, but there was only so much one person could do against a large number of bandits.

"Guess that's our drop zone," said Darius, "and Johann, so long as you don't burn the village down, feel free to go a little wild."

"Now you're talking!" exclaimed the dragon as he dived down at the other bandits. Rifana and Darius leapt off as he barreled through a whole line of bandits. The Armory Hero and his partner were quick to charge into the fray as well, with the weasel girl dodging, weaving, and breaking both weapons and skulls with her mace. A group of three tried to attack her all at once with a pair of swords and an ax, but she was able to block all three with her mace at once.

"REPULSE!" cried Rifana as a yellow light from her mace blasted the bandits back. The ones that were still conscious wisely ran off. As for Darius, he was facing a number of spear and sword wielders who he'd intentionally let surround him. 'Imitator: Dance of the Phantom Monk!' As the first bandits struck with their spears, his form seemed to split into multiple directions.

'There's more of him!' was the thought on the bandit's minds as four more masked Armory Heroes seemed to shoot through their ranks, dodging around weapons and cutting them down at random intervals. With confusion spreading, the cloaked figure was able to advance as well, flipping elegantly around the swinging weapons and dodging arrows while slicing tendons and throats with a pair of daggers. The chaos was made complete as Johann landed outside near the remaining bandits who hadn't entered the village and began tearing through them like the wild monster he was.

The rapid change of the battle was too much for the now confused and terrified raiders as the apparent leader called for a retreat. The hasty withdraw was assisted by Johann breathing more blue flames at the retreating enemies. "Are we clear?" Asked Darius as his mask dissipated while his weapon remained.

"All the live ones are either unconscious or too injured to move," confirmed Rifana as her ears twitched for any suspicious sounds. She also double-checked by sniffing the air.

"Well that gives us at least a moment to talk then," said Darius as the cloaked figure approached the two of them, "How bad is it on the villager's end?"

"I sighted the mercenary's advance well before they arrived," explained the figure in a surprisingly familiar feminine voice, "But not everyone was able to get away. Despite that, your arrival prevented even more casualties and saved me some trouble so," she pulled her hood off to reveal a beautiful head of dark hair, "I suppose we're even on at least one account now."

"F-Figneria!" Said Darius as he took a surprised step back, "What in the world are you doing all the way up here?!"

"Teacher!" exclaimed Rifana as she rushed forward and hugged her former mentor, "It's so good to see you're alright."

"And it is wonderful to see you two are also well," she replied with a quick hug back before they released each other, "As for why I'm up here, in a way it's because of you two."

"Us?" Questioned Darius as he sent his weapon back to his inventory, "We only just got into this country a few hours ago."

"You misunderstand," said the guard woman, "We wiped out so many monsters during your training that I had almost nothing to do before the second wave hit at Reichnott's mansion. Even after it did, the remaining monsters didn't last long against me, so I beseeched my employer to allow me to wander the land for a bit. It was during my travels that I heard there was a need for mercenaries up here, which was why I even bothered coming this far."

"But the mercenaries here are being used to silence dissenters," said Rifana, "Which is kind of the opposite of what you're doing."

"Yes, once I realized what was being asked of me I turned against them," said Figneria, "I've been a thorn in the new ruler's side ever since and-."

"Okay, they're all gone!" exclaimed Johann happily as he landed behind Rifana and Darius, "I chased 'em for a good mile, so I don't think we'll need to worry about anyone coming back for a bit."

"Dear me it talks," noted Figneria with a slight tilt of her head.

"Yeah I talk, what's the big deal," said Johann, "All dragons can talk. Most of us just don't know human speech." The woman glanced at Darius and Rifana for an explanation about the strange creature in front of her.

"Johann, best get a bit smaller so we don't scare any of the villagers," said Darius.

"Fine," said the dragon as he reverted to his child form, "so who's the lady anyway."

"This is our weapon master Figneria," explained Rifana, "She taught me how to fight with a mace and my bare hands. She also taught Darius several of the weapon moves he uses with his Imitator ability."

"I don't recall teaching him that phantom dance he used earlier," said the mercenary woman.

"Oh, I picked that one up from an adventurer wielding a similar exotic weapon," explained Darius, "It requires that the double-bladed staff have a slight enchantment of illusion magic, so I was able to copy it because it was both a combat move and required a weapon."

"Intriguing," said Figneria, "though I take it this dragon boy isn't the child of either of you."

"Well we hatched him from an egg in the monster egg lottery," explained Darius as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Rifana was also notably red upon hearing the implication. "So he's not our kid or anything but he's more than just a mount."

"Are you kidding I'm a freakin' dragon emperor," said Johann as he flexed his arms, making him look more childish than anything. "I'll be able to level whole towns with no effort when I get full grown!" 'There's a scary thought,' realized Rifana. But Figneria actually smirked a little bit at this.

"So the legends are true then, traces of the dragon emperor remain after all," she said.

"Pretty much," said Darius, "Anyway, we'd best start rounding up the villagers and get this place back in working order."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," said Figneria, "this is the second attack by the mercenaries in barely two weeks. I urged the village chief to evacuate after the first attack but he wouldn't listen."

"Well you've got some backup now," said Rifana as they watched some of the villagers slowly approach them, "Let's just hope they'll listen to reason."

"I don't know who you three are," said a man with a grey goatee and a black wrap on his head, "but thank you for aiding our village."

"We just happened to be passing by," said Darius, "according to Figneria here, the ones attacking are mercenaries. I take it your village doesn't approve of the new tax rate?"

"We're among one of the more prosperous villages thanks to our sale of fine wine," explained the village chief, "but the recent taxes have forced us to raise the price to the point where even the more well-off villages are no longer capable of affording any bulk orders. In protest we've been charging the highest price to the new rulers whenever they send for some."

"And let me guess, they've taken it to mean you're no longer loyal to the country or something like that," said Rifana with her arms crossed.

"They began attacking and stealing some of our shipments," said the chief, "We would've been in more trouble if Figneria hadn't shown up and offered to help guard them. She's done a splendid job of it too, which is why the Revolutionaries have sent their mercenaries to attack the village directly now."

"And many of your people have lost their lives due to these attacks," said Figneria, "Which is why I must urge you once again to evacuate the village to the location I've prepared."

"But we have more defenders now," said the village chief as he indicated Darius's party, "Surely with the extra help you can fend off future attacks."

"Now I'd best stop you right there," said Darius, "We were able to help this time, but we can't hang around here forever. The next wave is coming up and even if we wanted to stay we couldn't. Not to mention, defending one village won't solve the problem plaguing the rest of this country."

"What if we paid you?" Questioned the chief, "With the four of you here we won't even need to pay the overly high taxes. With the excess revenue I'm certain we could afford your protection."

"It's not a matter of payment," said Darius, "We came here to investigate why so many refugees are coming into Melromarc and, if possible, solve the issue. Which means we can't protect you and deal with the rest of the country at the same time."

"But our entire lives are here?" Pleaded the Village Chief, "Many people in this town work to harvest the grapes that make our wine, we can't simply uproot it all and take it with us. What will we do for food and other supplies?"

"A number of supplies are already in the location I've set up," said Figneria, "And with the help of these three here, acquiring more will hardly be an issue. What will become an issue is when the Revolutionaries send not only their mercenaries but their own soldiers as well. They may not have the strength of an actual army at the moment but only a couple hundred soldiers would be required to tear this village to shreds while occupying all four of us. So long as your village shows resistance to their commands your people will be targeted. So what is it going to be, remain here and wait for eventual death or evacuate for a time and live to see another day?"

The Village Chief still didn't look happy with the arrangement, but finally he sighed and nodded his head in agreement before turning and ordering the gathered people to begin packing up what belongings they needed. "You had best be right about this Lady Figneria," he said before walking off to supervise the remainder of the evacuation.

"Geez, what a moron," commented Johann before covering himself to avoid a bonk on the head from Rifana, "What, he knows he needs us to fight the bandits but he won't listen to what we say, isn't that something that morons do?"

"Leaving home is never any easy thing," said Darius, "I didn't have a choice when I was brought to this world and one of the things that keeps me going is the possibility that I might make it back some day. In much the same way, these people are being asked to leave everything behind with no guarantee that they'll ever be able to return."

"I can't say I really get it," said Johann, "But when I think about it I guess it would suck to find a new lair after spending so much time stocking it with treasure, oh that reminds me." The dragon boy reached down and pulled the coin purse off the body of one of the mercenaries. "Let's relieve these guys of their shiny treasures, I don't think they'll need 'em anymore." Darius and Rifana simply shook their heads but didn't argue as the Armory Hero used his inventory to store whatever weapons he hadn't gotten from the foes defeated by his allies while Rifana and Figneria got to work tossing the bodies into a heap. Johann contented himself with collecting the coin purses.

It was late evening by the time the village was evacuated and as the four adventurers exited the village, they left behind a burning pile of bodies for whoever decided to come along next. As for those who didn't die, they carried a message of fear back to their camps of a new threat to the country's corrupt rule.

Mountainous Clearing: That Night

The location prepared by Figneria turned out to be a few miles from the village. Just getting there required them finding a barely discernible entrance and venturing down a tunnel which led out into a type of cavernous oasis with an open roof and a number of other tunnels on the far end of each wall. The next surprise was the presence of another group of villagers. "You've certainly been busy," noted Rifana as the two groups negotiated what to do with the shrinking space.

"I discovered this place when I first entered the country," explained Figneria, "It has a natural flowing river deeper in the tunnels which provides fresh water. As for food, we'll need to work on that. The first village I brought was more of a small hunting village who are good at gathering. They've been able to survive on the supplies here so far but now that we've brought even more we'll need to figure out a strategy for the long term."

"Maybe not," said Darius as he conjured a familiar seed in his hand, "I was going to sell these, but I think Johann made sure we got enough money for now. Do you got a nice patch of soil here?"

"In the center," indicated Figneria, "though we'll be hard-pressed to find enough room if you intend to grow crops here."

"More like fruit trees," said Darius as he dug a small hole and planted the seed. Next he conjured a less colorful version of Naofumi's Mandragora shield. "You may want to stand back." The Armory Hero then used the shield's ability to accelerate the growth of the tree, causing it to sprout very quickly and start bearing fruit, though it didn't look as healthy as the one Naofumi had made.

"And just where in the world did you find something like this," said the warrior woman as she bent down to examine the small tree.

"Call it a gift from the Shield Hero," replied Darius, "It was his shield that altered these seeds to grow rapidly and with high productivity. My copy of his shield can accelerate it even further but I'll need to use it at least twice to get the same result as he did."

"So you did manage to find the other four cardinal heroes," Figneria said, "You'll have to tell me all about it once we get everyone settled." A process which, surprisingly, took less time than any of them expected. Apparently the rest of the village had been a bit more willing than the lord to pack up and move away from danger. This allowed the four of them plenty of time to catch up, though with a lot of questions from Johann about how they knew the 'booby assassin lady,' a remark which got him more than one knock to the head.

"And then we fed the refugees what we could and gave them a bit of coin for their travels," Rifana said as she more or less finished counting up the events which led them to the Northern country.

"It's good to see the time I spent on you two didn't go to waste," observed Figneria, "though it is disappointing to hear about the other three hero's attitudes. They all seem to lack a certain degree of foresight."

"If the viney state of that village Motoyasu visited is any indication then yeah," replied Darius, "Not to mention if what we've been hearing is true then Itsuki and his party only stuck around long enough to oust the current king. Now the whole place is suffering because he didn't make sure everything transitioned smoothly. As for Ren, he seems like the smartest out of them so maybe he'll be alright so long as he doesn't treat this like a game, but if he is, well I'd rather not think about it."

"It'd be best if we focused on the problem in front of us for now," said Figneria, "Since I'm no longer fighting on my own, there exists a chance we can turn the tide in our favor and force the current ruling body to cease their crimes."

"I hope you've got some sort of plan then," said Darius, "because the four of us together is formidable, but we're still not an army. Hit and Run guerilla tactics we can definitely do, but with the next wave quickly approaching we might not have that kind of time."

"If we instill enough fear into the mercenary's ranks, we won't need to engage them too directly," said Figneria, "especially if we use your abilities."

"I've used fear and intimidation before," said Darius, "But it was usually more of a spur of the moment thing. What did you have in mind?"

"First, I need to know if you can conjure the legendary bow that's wielded by the current hero," said Figneria. The Armory Hero responded by summoning said bow into his hand.

"This is the best I can do," he explained, "it has the general shape and everything down to a 't' but the color of the jewel and the bow itself will never match. But, if you just need me to shoot someone from a long distance it's more than capable of that."

"Long distance shooting will be required," said Figneria with her arms crossed, "But you don't necessarily have to hit someone important. You see while he was in the country the Bow Hero, Itsuki I believe you called him, apparently worked to conceal his identity. Given that most of what anyone here knows about him is that he used a powerful bow, you could potentially impersonate him and use the authority of a cardinal hero to put a stop to the current ruler's deeds."

"That could work," said Darius, "But Itsuki has a bit of a larger party than we do. Not to mention Itsuki never used a dragon to travel around and, thanks to his royal highness, there are no demi-humans in his party either."

"While that is true," said Figneria, "Just the possibility of the one who ousted the previous monarch returning should be enough to put them all on edge. If we sow enough confusion with misinformation and fear, we might be able to force the current ruler's surrender without even a fight."

"Well entire battles have been won or lost on a good bluff before, at least according to my history class," said Darius with a hand on his chin.

"But where would we even start?" Questioned Rifana, "There's still the problem of the mercenary bands attacking villages with dissenters." Figneria didn't answer right away, instead pulling out a map of the region with a few areas circled on it.

"A number of the main camps are located on the way to the castle itself," explained the guards-woman, "If we hit at least a few and successfully route them, the other camps should be called back once they realize where we're headed."

"And assuming they don't just group up and reinforce certain areas along the way," Darius pointed out.

"We don't need to fight all of them," said Figneria, "Once we're certain they're moving back, we can quicken our pace towards the castle. It's the type of offensive which can only be accomplished by a nimble but powerful team."

"Hmmm," mused Rifana with a thoughtful expression, "so we go in, attack a few camps, scare the ever-living out of them with what they assume to be the Bow Hero then assault the castle before they have time to fully organize any kind of actual defense."

"And then demand the ruler either rescind their tax-levying or we end them," finished Figneria.

"I'm all for it as long as I get to light some pricks on fire," said Johann as he leaned back with his hands behind his head. Darius was the last to answer as he turned the plan over in his head again and again. No plan was perfect, but this one would require some fast moving and hard-hitting to succeed, not to mention there was no guarantee that the mercs would actually believe he was the Bow Hero. But he trusted his former weapons master and assumed she knew the situation well enough to suggest such a plan. And if it would decrease the country's suffering, even just a little, then it was at least worth a shot.

"When do we begin?" He finally said as he made up his mind.

The Next Day: Main Mercenary Camp #1

'This is a definite setback,' thought the Mercenary Leader as he observed the map. He was dressed in typical bandit armor, but with a large cape and an ornate helmet to denote his rank. Though they did little to soothe his mind as he mulled over the reports he'd gotten from yesterday. A group of adventurers showed up and decimated most of the force he'd sent to raid the nearby wine village, which will mean more money to go around but less manpower. What made matters worse was apparently one of the adventurers commanded a flying dragon with actual combat ability.

"We're just gonna have to call for reinforcements to quell this little uprising," he thought aloud, "once the patrols get back we'll-eh." His planning had been interrupted by a loud whistling noise which seemed to be approaching extraordinarily quickly. "What in the wo-BOOOOOOM!" Those were the last words he spoke as a powerful arrow wielding the force of a small tornado tore into his tent and blew a hole through his stomach.

The impact was strong enough to tear the rest of the tent from its foundation, causing it to collapse as the mercenaries outside began to scramble for their weapons, each of them with similar varying thoughts. 'What's going on, why did our sentries not alert us, what kind of magic was that, where's the enemy?' were all questions on the minds of the confused soldiers-for-hire until a shout echoed down into the valley from a nearby hill.

"Your leader is dead!" declared a figure wearing a green hood with a cloth mask covering his nose and mouth. He also wore a green scarf cape with some sort of tassels running down both shoulders. But what really got everyone's attention was the bow he held over his head. "I fought to free this country from tyranny, but you have become tyrants yourselves! I see now that subtlety is not enough, so let this serve as a message to your king! The Bow Hero has returned to finish what he started!"

As he ended his speech, he positioned the bow and pulled back the string on it, releasing another powerful shot into the mercenary camp as a multi-pronged assault began. It didn't take long for them to dispatch a messenger with a simple letter containing only one sentence: 'The one with the bow is here.'

**And so begins the campaign to retake the Northern Territory, will it succeed? And what other forces are at work behind the scenes? But enough of that, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the Three Heroes Church make their move and unleash a terrifying foe against our heroes. 'Til next time.**


	12. Unleash the Curses Upon the Land

**Unleash the Curses Upon the Land**

The Northern Country of Koteraan

Dragons are loners by nature. It's not so surprising when you consider that the power of a full-grown pure breed dragon is capable of reeking immense havoc on an ecosystem, and their love of hoarding treasure only adds to that. The subspecies known as flying dragons share that trait to a degree, it's part of what makes them so difficult to train and why those who do manage it get the title of dragon knight. With all that in mind one would think a dragon would be unable to feel loneliness, at least to the extent that it would bother them. And yet, loneliness was exactly what Johann was feeling now as he walked along the bank of a large river in his dragon form, his eyes scanning for any sign of his party.

'I wonder if they're okay,' he mused to himself, 'I know the boss will put up a fight and weasel girl's no slouch. Heck even that thick merc lady is more than capable of holding her own when it comes down to it, but the monster they're fighting was supposed to be super strong too.' He flexed his wing experimentally for a moment, cringing as he felt pain shoot through it. The dragon boy was more annoyed than anything, though, as he recalled how he managed to get into this predicament.

Primary Mercenary Camp #4: One Day Earlier

"They're trying to reform their firing line," Darius said aloud as he circled around in the sky on top of Johann. He was still in his green disguise that denoted him as the Bow Hero, as opposed to the Armory Hero, and it had been doing quite a job during these raids to scatter the mercs. With word spreading, some of the camps would lose half their fighters just out of fear before they even engaged, leaving only the bravest for them to contend with.

"Then let's rain some more fire down on them, no wait, let's do lightning this time!" Cheered the flying dragon as they swooped down for another pass at the assembling mercenaries. "Breath of thunder!" A large bolt of lightning shot out of the dragon's mouth, something he'd picked up from the thunderbird, and tore into the line of archers who'd been attempting to return fire.

"Lightning Arrow!" Yelled the disguised Darius as he fired off three arrows at once from a blue bow with white markings that Figneria had given him. It was shaped fittingly enough like a lightning bolt on each side and the fired arrows carried a charge that sent out a wave of electricity several feet from the impact points on the ground. The luckiest ones were stunned by the electrical waves while the less fortunate, typically the already injured, succumbed to the pain and died from the attack.

"Fall back to the trees!" Ordered the leader before a black-cloaked figure suddenly leapt down from one of said trees and slashed him across the throat before jamming her other dagger into the folds between his armor. 'How did she get so close,' thought the leader as the life left his eyes and he collapsed to the ground in a heap. The other mercenaries quickly overcame their shock, however, and attempted to rush their leader's killer.

"As source of thy power I order thee!" proclaimed another voice as a weasel girl with a mace stepped out of the shadows of the trees, "turn the ground to a sand trap for my foes!" She slammed her weapon on the ground then as a yellow glow radiated from her weapon and caused a large portion of the ground in front of her to turn to quick sand, sinking several of the mercenaries up to their armpits before the ground hardened and trapped them.

"For those of you who still remain," declared the cloaked woman, "either flee or face death at the hands of the Bow Hero and his comrades!" The remaining mercenaries didn't need any encouragement as they all turned and fled, especially when Johann and Darius landed right behind them. Though that didn't stop the sky dragon from shooting off a fireball or two to speed them up a bit.

"From what we could see, this camp is in full retreat," said the disguised Cardinal Hero as he dismounted and approached the mercenaries trapped in the ground. "Now the big question is, what to do with the rest of you?"

"Please spare us Sir Hero!" yelled one of the mercenaries, a surprisingly young one with blond hair, "We were only-."

"Only following orders, you were paid to do it, you had no idea the Bow Hero would disagree with this, it wasn't your idea, yada yada yada," said Darius dismissively, "the last few camps we torched had the same sob story and it wasn't all that convincing then either." He kneeled down in front of the mercenary to get a better look at him, and to show he wasn't playing around. "Listen prick, I don't care that you fight for money and I don't care if it's what you were ordered to do. The fact of the matter is that you're helping to prolong the rule of a tyrant by slaughtering innocent people with valid disagreements for the way things are being run and that is not something that I can stand by and simply allow, especially not after the work I put in to oust the last king."

"W-we can make a deal then," said another mercenary, a man with a brown beard and a leather helmet, "You can have whatever you like from the camp. Our coin, weapons, supplies, you name it and we'll give it to ya in exchange for letting us live." Darius made a show of looking like he was thinking about it.

"And what'll you do once you get back to the current king?" Questioned the weasel girl, "Just rearm yourselves and continue doing what you were before we got here?"

"We'll leave the country," said a third, bald mercenary, "we can learn to farm or be blacksmiths, maybe open up a shop. I mean if one of the cardinal heroes is telling us this is wrong then it's definitely a sign that we need to think about doing something else." The rest of the mercenaries murmured in agreement.

"If you wish to be spared, I suggest you try making yourselves useful," said the cloaked woman.

"What can we do," said the first mercenary, "we'll do anything just please let us go." Darius took this moment to step in. He'd rehearsed this part a few times now and he'd pretty much gotten the lines down.

"Well for starters, we're taking your stuff," said Darius, "consider it giving back to the people. As for you guys, spread the word. The Bow Hero is on his way and if the rulers of this country want to avoid a bloodbath, they'll surrender and accept our demands. After that you disband, where you go I don't care but you'd best not hang around this country." The trapped soldiers-for-hire were more than eager to agree as the disguised hero gave a nod to the weasel girl who raised the mercenaries back above the ground.

The next couple of hours after that involved the mercenary bandits organizing their supplies and belongings. The group allowed them to keep only enough essentials for a couple days of travel while everything else, including their weapons and money was left for Darius's group before they departed to spread the word of what happened. "So that went well," said Johann as he shifted back to his child form, "with all those arrows flying I thought you fell off at one point boss."

"You pulled crazier maneuvers when you were first learning to fly," said Darius as he pulled the mask and hood down for a moment, "though an arrow did glance off the side of my chest plating."

"You should count yourself lucky that you're able to remain on the back of a flying dragon in the first place," Figneria pointed out, "I still find it curious you were able to tame one so quickly. Ordinarily such a feat would take years, though I suppose that's one of the advantages of being a cardinal hero."

"He gets to be my boss because he feeds me, and I get to take on monsters," said Johann with his hands behind his head, "While I'm certain I could survive on my own, it's just a lot more convenient hanging with you guys."

"So you do care about us," teased Rifana as she ruffled the winged boy's hair.

"Yeah yeah, look It'd just be annoying if you guys all died on me, I don't know how to cook beyond roasting something," said Johann.

"Speaking of food," said Darius as he glanced at the supplies, "We'd best send word to the villagers. I can carry a fair bit of this but not all of it, plus some of them are going stir crazy hanging out in a cave with an open ceiling all day so they'll jump at the chance to have something to do."

"We can probably go ahead and have them return to their homes at this point," said Rifana, "we've hit several of the main camps and word is most of the other small camps have begun retreating back towards the castle in preparation for 'the assault of the Bow Hero.'"

"We can expand the temporary camp we've set up, but I would advise against a full move back into all of the villages just yet," said Figneria, "There are a number of corrupt noblemen we need to target next on our way to the castle to insure they don't send any support to the king. We also need to inform the honest ones of our intentions and start deciding on who should be ruling the country next."

"That's gonna be a tough one," said Darius, "sure we can clean up all the bandits and mercenaries, but picking a good leader who won't turn on his own people after we leave, I'm not even sure where to begin."

"I've gathered a good bit of information about several of the noblemen," said Figneria, "even in these trying times there are some who wish to do right by the people. We will not let this country fall a third time to tyranny. But for now, we should head back and recuperate while the villagers move in to take the supplies."

"Yes please," said Johann, "I need a freakin' nap after all of this flying over the last couple of days." The rest of the group was in agreement as they headed back out of the mercenary camp. Unbeknownst to them, a figure in grey robes with his hood pulled up was watching them before checking his map. A smirk tugged at the stranger's mouth as he realized what awaited them at their next location, or rather what he could unleash.

The Next Day

The night had been relatively restful for all of them after landing at the large camp they'd set up some time ago. The majority of the villagers the group had directed to the cave were still there, but a small group had volunteered to travel with them to help gather the left over supplies from the abandoned mercenary camps. Something of a system had been established where one group would tend to the camp while the other group would go out, grab the supplies and carry them back to the camp or the cave. Those who went to the cave would then send out a new group of villagers to insure there were plenty of hands for the work.

The camp had also been convenient for sending out the gathered supplies to other villages and towns who were in need of a little currency, food, etc. As the assault on the mercenary camps and roaming parties went on, it became something of a routine to break down the camp and move it a few miles closer to what would be their final destination. Though there were some awkward moments, such as the four of them all sharing a large tent every now and then, which meant that Darius got the occasional luck of having cleavage in his face at one point or the other. Now Rifana would get embarrassed when it was hers but Figneria hardly seemed to care when she was the one doing it. If anything the female guard seemed to think the Armory Hero should become a little more familiar with the feel of a woman's body.

It also made for some occasionally uncomfortable flights such as the one they were having now with Darius at the front of the saddle while Rifana sat behind him and Figneria behind her. The weasel girl had been pouting for a good bit of the flight now after the most recent incident of her waking up to Figneria rolled over on top of Darius with her bosom on his head. "You don't need to be cross with me," said Figneria, "seeking warmth while one is sleeping is natural."

"Then why have you never bothered shoving Johann between your boobs?!" Rifana shot back without turning to look at the woman behind her.

"My dear, Johann thrashes in his sleep sometimes and he's only a small boy, not nearly as good a source of warmth." Figneria pointed out.

"Hey, I've got a naturally high core temperature," said Johann, "I could be as warm as a bonfire if I wanted to be! As for the thrashing, same answer I'm a dragon and dragons kick in their sleep sometimes."

"I'm just glad you got over shifting into dragon form while sleeping," said Darius, "None of us would've gotten any rest at all otherwise."

"You see, there is a reason for our sleeping arrangements," said Figneria, "and I'm certain our hero doesn't mind sleeping between two beautiful women each night."

"But why does that require you using him as a human pillow every so often," questioned Rifana, "Darius and I were able to sleep in the same tent before without that happening."

"It sounds to me like you're more angry that it didn't happen with the two of you then you are at me," Figneria noted.

"W-well that's because I-," Rifana stammered before being interrupted by Darius.

"The camp's coming up," he said as Johann lowered himself, "But something's not right." The two party members behind him turned their attention to see what he was talking about. Indeed the camp was there, but no signs of activity were present. The group had arrived just before sunrise to catch them off-guard so at least a couple of fires should've been going but none were. "Johann, let's circle a bit and see what the deal is. If nothing happens, we land at a safe distance."

The flying dragon grunted in agreement as they descended in a circular pattern. But the closer they got, the more obvious it was that no one was present. No arrows were fired at them, no shouts about an approaching dragon were heard, and no one came running out of the tents to see what was happening. The group landed next to the large river just outside of the camp which was characterized by a fair-sized waterfall as the party dismounted. "We'd best not rush in," said Figneria, "I'll scout the camp and see if there are any signs of a trap."

The former mercenary then cast a spell over herself similar to Raphtalia's illusion attack and proceeded towards the camp. The rest of the group waited nervously with their weapons drawn and their ears strained to hear even the slightest sound of something out of place. A few minutes later, Figneria returned without incident with some strange news.

"The camp is deserted," said Figneria, "all that's left are the tents and a number of tracks which are almost a day old."

"I mean it wasn't a complete secret that we were gonna hit here sooner or later," said Rifana, "Maybe the whole spread fear and confusion strategy is working better than we thought."

"But Figneria said this camp was one of the main ones in the way of us getting to the nobles," said Darius, "We even had a couple of strategies planned because it was supposed to be reinforced."

"But it also doesn't make sense that they'd spring a trap here," said Figneria, "the camp's protection is from the trees and the river, which are still too low to launch any kind of dragon net. Not only that, our sight is clear from the air so the only chance they would've had is a distance assault from the forest and none of the tracks I found lead in that direction. So they either really have evacuated or-someone's here!" Rifana sensed the intruder as well as the group turned to a nearby collection of bushes. A figure wearing grey robes that denoted them as a kind of magic user stepped out then.

"Ah, just as suspected," said the stranger, "you are indeed an imposter. No one here is part of the real Bow Hero's party and that is not the true legendary bow."

"And those are some wild accusations," said Darius as he aimed the replica bow at the newcomer, "mind telling us who you are and what your evidence is?" The guy was clearly not from Koteraan, that much was obvious, but where exactly he hailed from the Armory Hero wasn't sure.

"Why merely a servant of the Three Heroes Church of Melromarc, you may call me Aulder," the man said in introduction, "And I know because I witnessed your power myself, false hero, when you pointed that same bow at our beloved King."

"Now who's stretching the truth," said Rifana, "anyone paying attention can tell that the ruler of Melromarc isn't doing as much proper ruling as he should be, I would know."

"So of course you seek nothing less than the total downfall of our kingdom," said Aulder, "it is to be expected when you serve the right hand of the Shield."

"For a man claiming to have witnessed stuff, you sure are blind to what's going on," said Darius, "We're working on overthrowing this country's tyrannical ruler, something your great king tried and failed to do properly when he sent someone who didn't see the whole job through. By the way, you still haven't told us what it is you want?"

"Why to reveal you for the demon that you are," exclaimed Aulder as he held his hands up like, well, a preacher, "And to punish you for the sins of aiding the Shield and impersonating a Cardinal Hero!"

"You realize if the King had been doing his job and granted me and Naofumi the same authority as the other three heroes, I wouldn't even need to do this impersonation," Darius pointed out.

"That shall be the last lie that escapes your lips!" proclaimed Aulder as he held up the rosary with the symbol of the Three Heroes Church, "For I shall prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are a false hero, observe!" A red glow emitted from the jewel then as a massive surge of mana erupted behind them. Looking at the lake, the three noticed a red seal several meters wide on the surface of the water.

"He wouldn't," said Figneria as she realized the mage's intentions.

"What's happening," asked Johann. He didn't know why, but his instincts were telling him that something terrible was in that seal.

"He's unleashing a monster that was sealed long ago in this country by a previous hero's party," explained Figneria, "The nightmare creature that once made living by the river impossible!" As she said this, numerous water spouts shot out of the ground behind them and along the river bank. But this water was murky and tainted, and soon the whole section of the river began to take on a similar appearance. A ghastly smell wafted into the air as a massive limb shot out of the seal, characterized by gnarled claws and rancid fur covered with lake weeds dangling from it.

The second limb was much the same as the first as it emerged and grabbed onto the bank before the beast's head emerged, rising slowly to reveal a somewhat long muzzle with rows of teeth hidden beneath a mass of lake vegetation that covered the rest of its face save for its glowing red eyes and two massive, antler-like horns protruding from the sides of its head. Its presence was fowl and made the entire party's hair, or scales in Johann's case, stand on end as the building-sized monster pulled itself up to tower over all of them. "The Cursed Leshen of the Dark Swamp," muttered Figneria as Darius's Stat screen told him the same thing. The creature let out a roar then, sounding like a demonic elk that seemed to make the surrounding area tremble.

"Now be revealed for the fraud that you are!" Declared Aulder, "For only a cardinal hero could possibly hope to halt this beast!" 'And if we don't you've basically fucked this kingdom beyond repair,' Darius thought bitterly as he readied an attack with the legendary replica bow. The angry beast directed its gaze towards the group, likely recognizing the scent of a hero and lifted its arm to strike.

"Scatter!" ordered Darius as he fired off a wind arrow at the monster's face, causing it to recoil very slightly and pause its attack. Instead, it released a jet of murky water from its mouth which the Armory Hero narrowly dodged, noting how it carved up the ground. Johann and Rifana came in with a combination attack using both stone barrage and dragon's breath, assaulting the monster with flaming stones. The creature roared in more anger than pain as it turned its attention to the two party members and swiped at them with its massive arm.

Johann avoided the attack by taking flight while the weasel girl sprinted out of the way just in time. Figneria used the opening to jump and run up the Leshen's arm towards its head with her daggers bared. Noticing this, the monster brought its other hand up in an attempt to swipe at her, but was stopped when Darius dissolved his replica bow and used Phantom Chain Binding to stop the arm.

"Crimson Chains!" called the Armory Hero as the binds ignited, burning the trapped arm and allowing Figneria to leap in with an attack of her own.

"Ice Dagger!" called Figneria as a freezing coating appeared on her blades that she used to slash at the creature's eye, freezing it shut. It seemed to have some effect, but it also further angered the monster which managed to yank its arm free of Darius's chains and shake its head to throw off Figneria, who managed land on her feet before rolling out of the way of another swipe by the monster.

"As source of thy power I order thee," Chanted the Armory Hero as he opened a large portal, "decipher the laws of nature and grant my weapons a flaming edge! Arrow Firestorm!" A barrage of flaming arrows emerged from the portal then, all of which impacted with explosive force against the Leshen, causing it to recoil in anguish. "Fire and Ice seem to mess with this thing the most, so hit it with one of those!"

The party understood as they all regrouped. Johann struck first with a massive blast of blue flame. Rifana and Figneria each cloaked their weapons in fire and slashed at the creature's wrists when it caught itself from falling against the dragon's attack. Finally, Darius summoned Ren's sword and his Imitator mask as he unleashed the flaming slash known as Crimson Blade. The combined attacks staggered the monster as it fell back into the lake a short distance, howling in pain. But the moment was short-lived as the beast let out another massive roar, this one so loud that the group had to hold their ears.

'He's trying to use an intimidate ability,' Darius realized as he read the Stats screen. Fortunately it wasn't strong enough to actually cause the status effect, but it did give the creature an opening as it struck back with a vaporous blast of noxious breath. It was made all the worse because it was accompanied by some kind of summoned crows that leapt out of the stream when it hit the ground, increasing the damage radius of the attack and scattering the party once again. Johann swooped in with another blast of fire breath, but it was countered as the monster directed its own attack into the air.

The sky dragon hovered as it tried to hold off the powerful stream with his flames. But another problem occurred when the beast slammed its hands into the water, causing several waterspouts to shoot up into the air. One of these spouts happened to be right beneath Johann, knocking him out of the sky and into the river. "Johann!" called Darius as he dissolved the replica sword to generate some chains, grabbing onto his companion to keep him from falling over the waterfall. This left him open for an attack as the massive creature's hand descended towards him.

"MOVE!" yelled Figneria as she barreled into him, shoving him aside. But it left her to receive the brunt of the attack as the hand slammed down onto her body.

"TEACHER!" cried Rifana before charging and slamming a flaming mace into the Leshen's midsection. The monster snorted but didn't remove his hand until a whirling ring of flame burst from beneath it, forcing him to let go. Figneria staggered to her feet with her blades flaming. She was hurt and her hair was messed up, but otherwise she was still able to fight. The Leshen snarled again as it raised its head in the air as if taking a deep breath. All of the filth from the murky water began to rise into the air and gather at the end of its snout, quickly forming a sickly looking brownish black orb.

"Shit everyone behind me!" Ordered Darius as he conjured a replica of Naofumi's viper shield. The two party members did as instructed, managing to make it just before the creature released the orb. It flew with surprising speed and slammed into the barrier created by the shield, threatening to push the Armory Hero back, and it would have if not for his companions holding him steady with their arms on his back and shoulders. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" he raged as it became a battle of will, holding out for as long as he could against the attack.

Even with the viper shield's poison protection, he could feel blight creeping into him as his Stats flashed a warning on his HUD. What was worse, some of it was also getting to Figneria and Rifana, the former of which was having a hard time due to her injuries. Darius could feel his own strength waning as well, so he planted his feet even more firmly and pushed back with all of his might. After what seemed like hours, but was only about a minute, the attack finally dissipated. The Armory Hero collapsed to his hands and knees then, coughing as he felt some of the blight within him.

Figneria was in a similar condition as she collapsed to one knee. The only one who remained standing was Rifana, who quickly moved in front of both of them. "Repulse!" she cried as the Leshen's large hand impacted with her mace. The ability was designed to deflect physical attacks by reflecting the force back against the enemy, but against something as large and powerful as this beast it was all she could do to keep them from getting crushed. 'This thing's gonna kill us,' thought Darius as he ran through options in his head, 'we can't die here, not now.'

It was then that he noticed Johann's form going over the waterfall. The Armory Hero had been forced to retract his chains to use the replica legendary sword, and now he was in so much pain from the blight status inflicted on him that he could barely raise his hand. 'So is this really it, in the end I was just as powerless to help a nation as I was back home. And now some monster is going to take everything from us.' Another realization hit him as he was thinking, however. This wasn't the monster's fault, it only intended to take their lives because it recognized them as enemies.

No, the one responsible was that Aulder prick from the Church of Three Heroes. He freed the monster, it was his intention to take their lives and the lives of so many others just to prove that Darius wasn't the Bow Hero. The thought of it made the cardinal hero angry, angrier than he'd ever been even in comparison to Idol Rabier, especially when he considered that this was just some underling from the church. His anger built even more as he counted all of the things he and Naofumi had accomplished and how they'd all simply be dismissed because some bastard of a king hated their guts while lifting up morons who didn't even know what they were doing.

'I can't die here, no, we can't die here,' he thought in rage as he struggled to his feet, 'I will not let them take away everything we've worked for!' His HUD lit up then as the menu changed completely, revealing a red symbol he didn't recognize. 'Requirements met: Curse Series unlocked.' Two new skill trees appeared then with the titles 'Greed Series' and 'Sloth Series.' He didn't know what any of it meant, but he'd take it and he knew just who to test it on.

Back in reality, Rifana was starting to collapse under the pressure of the monster's hand. 'I can't collapse, or everyone will-huh.' A strange feeling had come over here, as if she was regressing, no, leveling down. 'What's going on, why am I losing power?' It wasn't just here but Figneria as well and even the monster seemed to feel that something was amiss as all eyes turned to the slowly rising Armory Hero, whose Imitator mask had appeared and changed drastically.

It now had the symbol of a crow on it, as well as a turtle shell on the lower part. The mask itself had grown and expanded over his head and now seemed more like an iron helmet. Shifting his now ominous gaze upward, Rifana could almost feel the smile on his face as he conjured the ax they'd found in the alchemist's temple and spoke in a distorted voice. "Sloth series: Level theft, I'm actually high enough to use this ax now," said Darius, "why don't we give it a test run!"

He swung upward then, unleashing a blizzard-like wind which knocked the Leshen's hand away, leaving it coated in a thin layer of ice. "Now Greed Series: Gold Cauldron!" A portal appeared above the monster's head in response with a massive cauldron that poured what appeared to be molten gold onto it. The creature howled in absolute agony as it tried to fling the substance off of it, forcing Rifana and Figneria to dive out of the way as some of it nearly hit them. Aulder, who'd been watching excitedly up to this point, was less lucky as he suffered a hit to the back running away. The river also boiled with the temperature of the liquid as Darius advanced and raised the ax. "Let's finish this, reveal your true name to me, great ax Raisetsu!"

As he swung the weapon, a blizzard engulfed the Leshen, cooling the molten material, but there was an added element, that of lightning which was amplified thanks to the gold substance. The monster let out one last long howl as it became an electrified statue. Just as quickly as it began, the lightning blizzard ended, leaving nothing but a dead husk behind. "That'll teach you to steal from me," said the Armory Hero as he returned the ax to his inventory and dispelled the Imitator mask. As soon as he did this, though, he collapsed in a heap.

"Darius," exclaimed Rifana as she dropped to his side and checked him. He was alive, but his mana was all drained and his level had returned to what it had originally been. 'I don't know what just happened, but I need to get them both back to the camp,' thought the weasel girl as she forced herself to stay calm. The situation was made even more serious when she noticed Figneria had also fainted, likely from the combined stress of her injuries, the blight and having her level drained. 'This is going to be a fun walk back to camp.'

Regardless she managed to pick up and carry Darius on one shoulder while Figneria was balanced on the other before starting the trek away from the carnage. But one last bit of business remained before she left the area completely, and it was laying on the ground groaning in pain. "Oh great, you're still alive," said Rifana in annoyance as she walked over to the cringing form of Aulder whose robe had been destroyed by the molten gold, revealing him to be a bald man with a stupid-looking blond goatee. "No wonder you took a job requiring you to wear a hood."

"W-what demonic p-power was that," he managed to say between ragged breaths, "an imposter s-shouldn't have been-." He could barely finish a sentence due to the pain.

"Gosh it's unbelievable how dense some people can be," said Rifana, "You just saw the truth before your very eyes. Darius Saxon is a cardinal hero, the Armory Hero to be precise, and given that he managed to best that monster you released, I think he's more than proven his status. You've also proven something, that your blasted church doesn't give a damn about the people."

"W-we show the p-people t-the pa-th to-," Aulder struggled to say before Rifana cut in.

"Yeah I'm gonna stop you right there," said Rifana, "I very much doubt God would approve of you releasing a monster onto the world and endangering a whole kingdom. But tell you what, why don't you ask him in person." Aulder was about to ask what she meant by that until she raised her foot over his head. His last yell of 'NO' was stamped out along with his head as the warrior girl crushed his skull with her foot. "If you're still here when we find Johann, I'll be sure to let him roast what's left," she said as she headed off into the woods with her comrades on her shoulders.

Further Along the River: About the Same Time

'I don't know what that was, but it was scary,' thought Johann as he approached the waterfall where he'd fallen off. For whatever reason another ominous presence had filled the area before the swamp monster, Lecher or whatever, started roaring in pain. Then it just disappeared right after the other monster's presence vanished. What wasn't clear, was whether or not his party still remained.

'Well I won't know unless I look,' thought the dragon boy as he morphed into his child form and grabbed onto the cliff side before ascending rather slowly due to his size. He never liked climbing or swimming, the sky was his territory, and while he'd be able to do this in his dragon form under normal circumstances, his injured wing prevented him from doing it this time around. 'I wonder if there's anything left up there, I mean they'd coming looking for me if they won right?' His thoughts were interrupted as a rock came loose under his foot, causing him to swear as he struggled to find another foothold.

'Then again, maybe they didn't win and it's down to just me,' thought the dragon boy as he resumed his climb. 'No big deal, I'm a top predator, I can find and cook my own food, and I can finally ditch that saddle on my back.' He actually smiled a bit as he continued this train of thought. 'Why not, all the boss and Rifana have ever done is hound me about having good manners and forced me to play nice with a Filolial of all things. Add on to that the fact that I'm basically one step above a beast of burden and I'm probably better off without them.'

A flash of a few memories through his head, however, caused him to lose his smile. 'I mean sure, they've fed me, gave me magic clothes, never forced me to carry them if I didn't want to, let me sleep in a bed instead of outside, I wouldn't have gotten as strong as I am now, admittedly, if I hadn't stuck with them. And yeah, they always complimented me when I did an exceptionally good job. But I'm a dragon, I can handle being alone, that's something we're supposed to be good at, right?'

It was a strange feeling for Johann when he realized that unlike most wild dragons, he'd never really been alone since his birth. Not only that, despite his occasional disagreements with them, he didn't hate them by any means. This doubt in his heart finally started to bring tears to the boy's eyes when he also realized, that he might actually miss the group. 'I could probably handle being alone, but I don't want to be alone!' He finally admitted as he increased the speed of his climb. When he reached the top, he found only the remains of the monster and the mage, and the scent of his friends with only one pair of foot prints.

Base Camp of the 'Bow Hero': Some Time Later

To say Darius Saxon was sore was an understatement. Just the act of his eyes fluttering open seemed to cause pain as he groaned and tried to sit up. "I'd recommend staying still," said Figneria, who was sitting on her own sleeping mat with a few bandages adorning her arms and torso while also missing her trademark cloak, "We're still not sure if there are any residual effects."

"I guess you're referring to whatever berserker or power state I went into before blacking out," said Darius, "To be honest I'm not even sure what happened. But we're all alive, right?"

"Rifana carried the both of us back," said Figneria, "she only rested long enough to get her wounds treated. She's in the process of organizing a search party for Johann."

"Well then we need-ow," the cardinal hero attempted to get back up only for pain to lance through his body and force him to lay back down.

"You're in no condition to be going anywhere," said Figneria, "neither of us are. My wounds are currently being treated for some of the blight inflicted upon me, so my fighting prowess is limited at the moment. Rifana was luckier given that she had no open wounds, so what little she was exposed to will clear up very soon. As for you, whatever blight there was in your body disappeared once you accessed that ominous power, though your mana recovery has been a bit slow because of it."

"I have a vague recollection of using that ax too," said the Armory Hero as he rubbed his head, "It's powerful but it eats up mana like there's no tomorrow whenever you use the ultimate attack."

"Well with luck you'll have leveled up enough to use it without the assistance of that cursed power next time," said Figneria before her attention was drawn to the entrance of the tent.

"Oh thank goodness you're awake," said Rifana as she entered the tent before rushing to Darius to embrace him.

"Ow, easy," said the injured hero as he felt more pain from his sore muscles, "my everything kinda hurts right now, so gentle hugs please."

"I'm sorry," said Rifana as she pulled away, revealing that her eyes had tears of joy in them, "I just, was so worried I might lose someone else important to me today."

"It's not been the best of times today has it," Darius tried to laugh but cringed instead, "Any luck with Johann?"

"The search party is ready, we just need to-," she was interrupted when a frantic woman from the camp poked her head in.

"Adventurer Rifana, you need to come quickly," she said as she beckoned her to follow. The demi-girl looked unsure for a moment, but hurried on after a nod from Darius and Figneria. The woman led her to the edge of the camp were something was spotted coming out of the bushes. Rifana pulled her mace out as well when the bushes caught fire and were blasted apart, allowing the intruder to stumble in. But as soon as the smoke cleared, the weasel girl dropped her mace.

"JOHANN!" she cried as she ran forward and hugged the dragon boy, "We were so worried, are you alright?"

"Why'd we put the camp in the middle of a bunch of thorn bushes," complained Johann, "I hate walking through those things in human form. And also," he hugged his companion back, "please tell me everyone's alright."

"Darius and Figneria are recovering, but they'll be alright," said Rifana, "I had to see to their injuries otherwise I would've come looking for you right away."

"I know," said Johann as he held onto her tighter, "I know you'd never intentionally leave me behind without a reason, I just-please don't leave me! I may be a dragon, but I don't want to be lonely! A cave full of treasure could never replace my friends!"

"It's alright," soothed Rifana as she stroked his hair lovingly, "we're not leaving you that easily. Come on, let's go see the others." Johann nodded as he let his friend lead him to the hero's tent. Needless to say, they were a bit speechless at first when the two walked in.

"Hey Boss," he said, "Since I fell down a waterfall today, can I skip the bath."

"Heh, only if you don't make a fuss about the next one," replied Darius with a laugh. Johann nodded happily before running to hug his owner and friend. That night, the four of them slept comfortably cuddled up with one another.

**The Curse Series and the power of Raisetsu has been unveiled! Is it OP, is it not enough, or is it right on the line?! You decide, in the usual fashion with a comment or review. Also, feel free to let me know what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Oh, and one minor issue to address, I cannot message back reviews by guests, so I was wondering if I should start posting answers to some of these questions at the beginning of chapters from this point onward? I've seen other writers do it but I could never decide if I should, so let me know what you all think. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes convene with old and new allies! 'Til then.**


	13. A Nice Princess?

**A Nice Princess?**

Castle Town: Capital of Melromarc

It seemed like forever ago since Darius had last set eyes on the capital city and, despite a number of not so pleasant experiences, it would've been a welcome sight if he wasn't concerned with other matters. "You sure you don't want to stop and rest for a bit," he asked his dragon mount as they approached.

"Like I said the last five times you asked, I'm good," replied Johann as they dropped in altitude a little. "Thanks to the health potions you had on you and my own dragon heritage, my sore wing is good as new."

"Sorry, I guess I can't help but worry a bit after what we survived," said Darius, "not to mention the fact that we have to fly all the way back here just for some affordable supplies and a special armor treatment."

"Well you remember what thick merc lady said," Johann reminded him, "we need to look convincing and presentable, especially when we finally march up to the castle gates. Besides, her and Rifana still need some rest even with their blight cured." The cardinal hero knew he was right, but he couldn't help but think of the conversation he'd had with Rifana before setting out.

Early Morning: 'Bow Hero' Base Camp in Koteraan

Darius was in the middle of examining the armor he'd been using to impersonate Itsuki, more or less confirming what Figneria had already said. It had become tainted and was starting to degrade because of taking the full brunt of the Leshen's breath. At least that was part of it. The Armory Hero had also been trying to access information about the recently acquired 'Greed' and 'Sloth' series, specifically the drawbacks. But some of the text was covered over by some kind of static, as if it wasn't entirely unlocked. What he had discovered, though, was the reason for the series activation in the first place: an explosion of emotion equal to the destruction of one's heart.

'And it's hard not to feel powerful emotion when one's about to die,' he mused before his thoughts were interrupted by Rifana walking into the tent. "You seem to be doing better," she said with a light smile, "does anything still hurt?"

"According to my Stats, I'm back at a hundred percent," said Darius, "though the apparent penalty for the Sloth series is a short term condition of slow health and mana regeneration, for now anyway. As for the Greed series, no ideas about that yet but it might have something to do with why this armor is decaying alongside being tainted."

"Teacher did say it was strange," commented Rifana as she sat down next to Darius, "tainted armor has the potential to inflict blight upon the wearer, but it doesn't typically cause decay. If we didn't need this armor to keep doing what we're doing I'd just as soon toss it."

"I have considered the irony of having multiple sets of armor but only one green cape," commented Darius, "But I suppose one set of armor and some delayed health and mana regen are a small price to pay for getting you all back here alive."

"At least you're level's high enough now to wield Raisetsu without invoking that level thief ability," said Rifana as she pulled her knees to her chest, "It scared me, seeing you looking like that. Sure you saved our lives, but for a moment I was afraid you might not have been coming back to us."

"You make it sound like you and the others aren't worth dying for," said the Armory Hero as he set his disguise aside.

"I wasn't afraid that you'd die when I saw you like that though," said Rifana as she avoided his gaze, "I was afraid that the wonderful person I've come to know over these last few months was replaced with a monster."

"I'm not that wonderful," said Darius, "If you really think about it, there's probably a reason I got those two specific curse series. I've been greedy in my own way, taking money, weapons, armor and lives without much in the way of remorse. I've also been lazy in my own way, only ever stepping up when it's demanded of me. I've left most of the decision-making up to Naofumi or Figneria when it comes to important stuff, only weighing in if I think I have a half-decent idea. Not to mention I was nothing but a shut in back in my own world, only working when I had too."

"So you're not perfect, big deal," said Rifana as she took his hand in hers, "You still saved my life, my friend's lives, and the lives of many other people. As for remorse, I know you don't enjoy killing like so many of the other people we've had to end, but it's also proof of your willingness to do what you have to if it means helping others. You once told me a quote from one of your 'comic book movies' I think you called them: 'The right thing is sometimes messy.'"

"That wasn't exactly something you were supposed to take to heart though," Darius pointed out.

"But it's true in a way," said Rifana, "we're trying to reclaim an entire country right now, something you knew is nearly impossible to do without bloodshed. But you stepped up anyway to fight for the people here who couldn't fight for themselves. So even if you're a little greedy sometimes or a little lazy, I'm still happy to follow you into the fray. Not to mention, Johann's a greedy little dragon who loves treasure and I crushed a man's skull under my boot just yesterday, so it's not like we can really get onto you about how to do things. But if possible, could you not use that power too much."

"I'll do the best that I can," said Darius, "so in the meantime, we'd better get as strong as we can, just to make sure."

"Mhmm," replied the weasel girl happily with a smile.

End Flashback

"Yeah I know," sighed the Armory Hero. He really hadn't been a fan of this idea, flying all the way back to Melromarc to get some impurities removed from their armors. But that blasted Leshen had managed to taint some of their best equipment, weapons and armor they were going to need for when they made their move against the noblemen and the ruler. Figneria and Rifana had elected to stay behind and help set up base camp somewhere else while they took a much needed break to insure they were recovered. "Anyway, let's set down here. The city guard's probably on watch for people on flying dragons."

"Gee, I wonder why," said Johann. The two of them snickered at the sarcastic comment before landing in a forested clearing just outside the gates. The guards were quick to shoot the two of them some dirty looks but didn't stop them as they entered the city and headed towards Erhard's shop. Though Darius had another stop to make before they reached there, the Three Heroes Church.

He needed answers as to why one of their followers, assuming he was an actual follower, was in Koteraan in the first place and if he was acting on his own or by the Church's orders. But as he and Johann approached, they found that someone might have already beaten them to it. "Hey Naofumi, Raphtalia!" said the Armory Hero as he waved at his two friends who were exiting the church.

"It's Darius and Johann!" exclaimed Raphtalia as she ran over and hugged the two of them, "It feels like forever since we last saw you, how is everything?"

"Oh ya know, monster fighting and starting a revolution to remove the current revolution from a whole country. Typical monthly stuff," said Darius.

"Did you happen to bring Rifana with you?" asked the raccoon girl.

"Afraid she couldn't make it today," replied Darius, "we had a nasty run-in with an ancient monster, though it looks like you guys have had it rough too." Indeed Raphtalia was sporting some nasty purple marks on her arms that looked like bruises or some kind of infection, as well as some bandages around her head.

"You can thank Ren for that," said Naofumi, "You know that plague in the East? Turns out it was from the rotting corpse of the dragon he'd slain. Blasted thing reanimated when we went to clean it up."

"Told ya he couldn't kill a dragon so easily," remarked Johann.

"And that makes three for three on blunders by the other heroes," said Darius as he shook his head with his arms crossed, "we've been cleaning up Itsuki's mess in the Northern country of Koteraan. To a degree it's not entirely his fault I suppose, given that the revolution he helped turned bad after he left, but it makes me wonder if he really understood the entire situation. As for Ren, definitely disappointing given that I thought he had some actual sense."

"They all still think this is a game," said Naofumi, "none of them considered the consequences of their actions and because of that Raphtalia got hurt."

"I take it that's why you two are here at the church then?" Questioned Darius.

"Yeah," said Naofumi with a hand on his hip, "we needed some holy water for Raphtalia's wounds and-ah crap." Everyone turned their attention to where he was looking and noticed a guard was running towards them.

"Sir Shield Hero!" called the guard between breaths as he hurried towards them.

"Time to run," said Naofumi as he grabbed Raphtalia's hand and took off with Darius and Johann close behind.

"But why do we need to run in the first place?" Questioned Raphtalia as they turned a few corners into the narrow streets.

"What else can we really do?" The Shield Hero asked back as he checked to see that the guard was still after them. Deciding to take a more evasive approach, they began cutting through the street and taking turns down alleyways. There was no direction to their flight. A left turn here, a hard right there, and up and down flights of stairs all in an attempt to shake off the one chasing them. Eventually they lost sight of their pursuer and stopped to rest at a wall by an alley.

"So, what do you think they want with ya this time?" Questioned Darius as he peeked around the wall.

"Heck if I know," replied Naofumi as he turned to Raphtalia, "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright, just a little winded," said Raphtalia between breaths. Apparently the sickness she'd caught from the zombie dragon was worse than originally thought.

"Any reason we can't just knock 'em out and be done with it?" Questioned Johann.

"He's probably not the only one looking for us," said the Shield Hero as an idea occurred to him. "We should split up, he's after me and maybe Darius so he won't be able to catch all of us."

"Are you sure?" Questioned Raphtalia with a hint of concern in her voice.

"You go find Filo and we can meet back at the carriage in a bit," said Naofumi.

"Johann, go with her," ordered Darius. Their two companions didn't look happy about the arrangement but didn't argue either as the two cardinal heroes ran from their hiding spot, yelling to attract the guard's attention. It seemed to work as the single pursuer ran after the two of them down the many streets and alleys of the town once again. Finally, after several minutes of running the two heroes stopped in the middle of a more open area of the market place to catch their breath.

"You think we lost 'em this go round?" Questioned Naofumi.

"It looks that way for the moment," said Darius between breaths, "but we should probably keep moving. With our luck there's no telling when the next-."

"NAOFUMI!" yelled an infuriatingly familiar voice as the two of them jumped out of the way in time to avoid Motoyasu's spear, which cracked the ground where they'd just been hardly a moment ago.

"Are you crazy, attacking us in the middle of a crowded street," said Naofumi.

"Shut your mouth!" yelled Motoyasu as he swung at the Shield Hero, who narrowly ducked the attack. "And free that slave girl with you now!" He moved in for another strike but was stopped as Darius caught the blow with a replica of his spear while Naofumi switched to his viper shield.

"We've had this discussion already, Raphtalia is with him-." Darius started to say before he was interrupted by the Spear Hero.

"Not her, the other one," said Motoyasu as he broke the weapon lock, "I saw a blond girl with wings accompanying Naofumi, so don't try lying to me."

"You mean Filo," said the confused Shield Hero as he glanced at Darius. The Armory Hero could only shrug.

"Filo, so that's her name," said the Spear Hero as he pointed an accusing finger at the other cardinal hero, "how could you enslave such a perfect girl like her? To think there's actually a girl like Freion from hell world here!" He became a little giddy with his next statement. "Truth is I've got sort of a thing for angels."

"I don't care, Motoyasu, I just don't care," said Naofumi with a sigh. Darius simply shook his head as he rested his spear on his shoulder.

"My heart's been on fire ever since I laid eyes on her," continued the Spear Hero as he loudly proclaimed his next line for all to hear, "I love fantasy worlds and that beautiful blond-haired angel!"

"That blond angel is barely a month old, fast growth notwithstanding," the Armory Hero pointed out, "so in a way you kinda just admitted your fetish is a bit on the pedo-side."

"Oh like yours is any better," Motoyasu shot back with an annoyed tone.

"I prefer fox girls with some actual developed assets if you must know," replied Darius, "But that's a conversation I'd rather be having somewhere besides a crowded public street."

"This whole mess is ridiculous, let's just go," said Naofumi as he turned to leave before he noticed some movement beneath the Spear Hero's belt, "And you might wanna get that looked at."

"That's the other reason I'm here actually," growled Motoyasu as he leveled his spear, "I intend to send both you and that fat bird to the underworld! Airstrike Javelin!" The Shield Hero quickly deflected the attack with his viper shield, but the projectile still destroyed a nearby stall. "Chaos spear!"

'Dumb ass,' thought Darius as he dissolved his spear. "Phalanx Wall!" Several shields raised around them to stop the deflected or missed shots of the Spear Hero's attack while the Armory Hero summoned the best shield he'd acquired recently to protect himself.

"Darius," signaled Naofumi as he deflected another attack from Motoyasu. The cardinal hero nodded as they both moved to the side to avoid the next charge. Moving in sync, Darius knocked away the spear and kicked Motoyasu in the back of the leg while Naofumi hit him in his right side, causing the Spear Hero to fall to his knees. They both punched him in the face to finish up the combo, knocking him over.

"Not bad," said the Shield Hero as they both retreated back to defensive stances.

"Told ya learning some Captain America moves would help," said Darius, "that was Cap and Bucky versus Iron Man right there." Of course such a simple tactic wouldn't be enough to keep Motoyasu down for long, unfortunately, as he quickly got back up to his feet. But as he was preparing another attack, the guard who'd been chasing them earlier suddenly stepped into the middle of the fight with his arms held up defensively.

"Please wait Sir Spear Hero!" pleaded the guard, who Darius noted wasn't much more than a brown-haired kid. "This is a public area. If you must solve your differences, please do so where there are fewer people, this isn't the place to start a duel."

"But it can be with my say so," cooed a smug female voice. Darius and Naofumi both felt their revulsion immediately rise as Myne stepped onto the street with a small troop of guards. It also didn't escape Darius's notice that the same douche captain from the last wave was also there. "Form a circle, there shall be no escaping." The soldiers did as ordered, drawing their weapons as they surrounded the three cardinal heroes. Malty then held up a scroll with a royal decree written on it.

"To all present, I declare this to be an official duel between both the Spear and Shield Heroes," said Myne, "This authority comes from the crown which has granted me the power to do so."

"Hmph," grunted Darius as he conjured a chain with a spiked end from the ground. It whipped out at high speed, impaling the decree on the end before reeling back in and dropping it in his hand. "You know I'm starting to get tired of being overlooked, and of royal decrees, so don't think I'm just gonna stand back and watch this time around." He emphasized his point by dropping the scroll to the ground and stepping on it.

"Very well then," said the princess through gritted teeth before raising her hand, "soldiers-."

"Put your weapons down!" ordered an unfamiliar voice. Darius turned to see a short girl about Filo and Johann's height walking towards them escorted by her own troop of guards. She had long blue hair done up in two pig tails and wore a white and blue long-sleeved dress that spoke of nobility. Given the way the rest of the guards sheathed their weapons and dropped to a kneeling position, it must've been very high nobility. "I forbid the heroes to fight amongst themselves like this."

"Hey this wasn't our idea," said the Armory Hero as he returned his weapons to the inventory and held up his hands innocently.

"A better question is, what's this all about Melty," questioned Naofumi.

"You know her?" Questioned Darius. This hadn't been included in their latest update.

"Why have you returned?" Seethed Myne with a mixture of surprise, anger and possibly worry.

"Okay why do you know her too?" Questioned the Armory Hero as his confusion only grew. But it was all answered as the girl named Melty stepped forward and addressed the red-headed princess.

"It's been far too long my dear sister," said Melty. This was apparently something that even Naofumi hadn't been aware of as a look of astonishment crossed both his and Darius's faces. "And don't think that you or the privilege of the hero can cover up a mess like this when it's in plain view of everyone. And Spear Hero, look around you. Can you really consider someone who puts the lives of the innocent in danger a hero?"

Motoyasu attempted to argue his case, but once he actually took a look around at the busted walls, broken windows and trashed stalls, he lowered his spear in shame. "And my dear sister, it's time you put a stop to these foolish games of yours."

"I haven't the slightest inkling what you're talking about," replied Malty, unsurprisingly feigning ignorance, "I am simply fulfilling my duty as an aide to the legendary hero."

"And allowing a destructive duel is your idea of aid," Melty pointed out, not at all buying her older sister's innocent act.

"And you would defy your own older sister," said Myne darkly.

"If it comes to it, I will let mother know what you've been doing," replied Melty with narrowed eyes. This seemed to quiet the redheaded princess as she ground her teeth in frustration. Melty then proceeded to apologize to the gathered crowd, bowing politely and offering to pay for damages. Naofumi also took this moment to switch back to his grimoire shield as the fight seemed to be over, though Darius was keeping an eye on Malty. At least he was until they heard the sound of Raphtalia, Filo and Johann rushing towards them.

"Is everything alright Master Naofumi," questioned Rapthalia as she looked around at the damage.

"It's just Motoyasu being an idiot again," replied the Shield Hero dismissively.

"Turns out he's a lolicon, who knew," added Darius. The Spear Hero, however, ignored all of this as he kneeled in front of Filo and took her hand.

"Filo is your name, isn't it?" Questioned Motoyasu. The bird girl nodded to say he was correct. "You poor thing, I've no doubt Naofumi has been using you like a beast of burden."

"But I really enjoy pulling the carriage, it's fun," said Filo happily with a smile on her face.

"I should've known," said Motoyasu as he pointed his spear at Naofumi, "you really are swine. To make a young girl like this pull your carriage just like that fat bird."

"You may wanna cool it on insulting that bird in front of her," said Darius as he pointed at Filo who had an annoyed look on her face.

"Why did you have to call me fat again?" Questioned Filo, "You said the same thing about me last time."

"What, when did I ever call you fat?" Questioned the Spear Hero. He got his answer when Filo went up in a puff of smoke, revealing her large Filolial form. But even with a bird face, it was obvious she wasn't happy.

"I really hate you spear guy," said the bird girl in a threatening tone.

"You mean you're also that fat bi-OOOOOOOH." His sentence was halted when Filo nailed him right between the legs. As before, the kick was so powerful it sent the unfortunate hero flying through the air. This time, he landed on a stall roof.

"Sir Motoyasu!" exclaimed Malty as she was about to run to his aid, until she noticed a boy with dragon wings standing in front of her, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "Wait, if that girl is the fat bird then you're-?" Johann answered her question by shifting into his dragon form, complete with an extra toothy grin. "Oh no, not aga-AAAAAAAAAAAH!" And as before, the princess was sent flying by Johann's tail right onto the same stall.

"Best get a doctor," said Melty as she signaled one of the guards.

"And the mounts win again!" cheered Filo as she shifted back to her child form so that Naofumi could pat her on the head.

"I guess we actually can agree on one thing," said Johann as he shifted back into his kid form, "None of us like spear guy."

"But even so you shouldn't just go around knocking people into the air," said Raphtalia.

"What, Motoyasu and that princess always put us through the ringer," said Naofumi, "I'm actually quite proud of these two."

"Well you both should still probably do something about those satisfied smirks on your faces," the raccoon girl pointed out.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Darius, "I'm just in a good mood at the moment."

"Then might I have a moment of your time," said Melty, "Savior of the Heavenly Fowl, and the Merciful Dragon Knight. Though I suppose it's more correct to say the Shield and Armory Heroes."

"Whichever works for you I guess, what's the issue?" Questioned the Armory Hero.

"I need to speak with both of you urgently," explained Melty, "Is there somewhere more private we could talk?"

Erhard's Shop

"So what's the story this time?" asked the weapon's shop owner as he looked at the group on the other side of the counter with his chin resting in his hand.

"We're trying to sort that out if you just give us a moment," replied Naofumi.

"Just sayin', I'd like to know the reason if I'm gonna have you all crowding my shop," said Erhard.

"Please forgive us," said Raphtalia, "we couldn't think of anywhere closer than here." The shop owner simply shrugged upon hearing this explanation.

"Well getting right down to it, who exactly are you?" Questioned Naofumi.

"I do apologize," said Melty as she adopted a more formal sounding tone, "I should have mentioned this sooner, but I am Melty Melromarc, first in line to the throne and the second princess, Princess Melty Melromarc."

"You guys brought the princess here!" exclaimed Erhard.

"Are you really in line for the throne," questioned Filo with a confused tilt of her head.

"But you also said second princess," noted Raphtalia, "so how can you be first in line for the throne?"

"My sister's, personality issues, have made her a problem child and so the lineage was passed to me," replied Melty.

"Surprising no one at this point," commented Darius as he leaned against the wall.

"So did you already know I was the Shield Hero then," asked Naofumi with a slightly irritated tone.

"You have to believe me, I honestly had no idea who you were when you picked me up," replied Melty, "But this does present a good opportunity, we could-." She was cut off as Naofumi shifted his position rather noisily.

"You can just forget it whatever it is," said the Shield Hero, "The fact of the matter is I can't trust a single word from you, so we're outta here."

"But you need to listen to this," pleaded Melty, losing much of her composure at Naofumi's refusal.

"I don't have to listen to a damn thing from any of you filthy royals," The Shield Hero shot back as he leaned back against the wall.

"Close your ears then," said Darius as he stood up straighter, "because I do feel like listening."

"You can't be serious," groaned Naofumi, "she's just looking to use us for her own gain, or worse, frame me and by extension you for another crime we didn't commit."

"I would never do such a thing!" exclaimed Melty, "whether father wants to admit it or not we need the both of you! I could even get your name cleared if you'll just let me Sir Shield H-."

"Problem is you're 'next' in line for the throne and not currently on the throne," Naofumi pointed out, "which means even if you're telling the truth, you still can't override the king."

"But if you give me a chance I'm sure I can convince father-," Melty started to say before the door to the shop opened to admit one of her guards.

"Princess Melty," said the guard, "I've received word that his royal majesty is calling for you. It'd be best if we didn't keep him waiting."

"Give it a shot if you want," said Naofumi, "But I'm not expecting that guy to change his mind, so run along now." Melty didn't look happy with this turn of events, but eventually nodded in understanding.

"Very well then, I'll take my leave," she said before turning to Filo, "I'm afraid I have to go now, so take care." The bird girl wanted to follow after but was stopped by a quick 'don't' from the Shield Hero. The poor Filolial was forced to look on sadly as her new friend left the shop. Naofumi was about to dismiss it and open his menu to check something before he felt Johann punch him in the gut.

"Ow, what was that for?" He asked as he felt the point of impact.

"For being a jerk," said Johann, "and the boss wasn't about to do it, so someone had to. If anyone's gonna make Filo cry it's gonna be me."

"What in the world kind of things are you teaching him Darius?" Questioned the Shield Hero with a confused look at his comrade.

"To not be a pain for no good reason," he replied, "And I think you're still underestimating the value of having one of the royals on our side."

"We've got no reason to believe she's on our side," said Naofumi.

"But she doesn't give off the same vibe as that redheaded floozy," said Johann, "she actually seemed nice."

"Can I at least play with her the next time we see her," pleaded Filo as she tugged on Naofumi's cape.

"I'm afraid it'd be better if you didn't see her anymore," replied Naofumi as he patted her head before turning to enter the changing room. Like Darius, his armor had been damaged fighting a powerful monster: the reanimated corpse of the dragon Ren had killed.

"But why, tell me why, please master," begged Filo as she kept tugging on his cape. But the Shield Hero wouldn't answer, prompting her to run out the door in tears.

"What is it with the Japanese and not saying a damn word about an important subject," commented Darius.

"This is about Melty being the daughter of the king, isn't it Naofumi," said Raphtalia. He didn't answer but his gritting teeth and tightened grip on the curtain were all any of them needed to tell that she'd hit the nail on the head. Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened back up to admit Filo.

"Uh master, it seems you have some visitors," she said as the guard from before walked in, accompanied by a few others as well as some women in witch's robes.

"You again," said Naofumi, "What in the he-UFF." He was silenced by a quick jab to the ribs from Darius.

"I think you've said plenty for the moment," commented the Armory Hero before turning to address the guard. "Sorry about running off earlier, what do ya need?"

"Well the thing is," said the guard sheepishly before he and the rest bowed suddenly, "we'd be honored if you let us accompany you during the next wave!" Darius and Naofumi both wondered if they'd heard right as he continued. "The courage and selflessness you showed in the last wave inspired all of us, so we'd like to fight alongside you all."

"That was the reason you chased us all over the place," commented the Shield Hero.

"We all decided together it was what we wanted to do," said a familiar voice as Rino stepped out from behind the rest of them. She was now sporting her own armor over her recently acquired red outfit, as well as what appeared to be a monk's staff.

"Hey Rino, you're here too," said a surprised Johann. The raven-haired girl smiled happily at the little dragon boy as she nodded her head.

"This is great and all, but why do you want to fight with us," questioned Naofumi, "you can fight in the waves without being with us."

"Well you see most of us hail from Lute village," said one of the mages, a purple-haired youth wearing a sorcerer's hat, "It was thanks to you that all of our families and friends survived the last wave."

"And of course I owe Darius here for freeing me," added Rino. "We all want to repay you by helping in any way we can." Raphtalia and Filo were clearly happy to hear this, while Darius and Johann nodded in appreciation. As for Naofumi, he thought about the matter for a moment before pulling out a necklace with a yellow stone and holding it up.

"If you're really sincere about it, buy this little item for a hundred and fifty silver pieces," he said. This brought a bit of a frown to his party's faces while a look of panic crossed the guard's face. "What's the matter, if you want my trust then all you need to do is buy this little trinket right now." The group of guards and adventurers began discussing the matter among themselves. One thing which was clear, though, even putting together all they had wouldn't be enough to buy the accessory.

"We won't be able to buy it right now," said the lead guard once their discussion came to an end, "But we might be able to arrange it given a little time." Darius simply sighed at the scene. 'This is so close to a good cop bad cop routine it's not even funny,' he thought.

"I might have a job that'll pay that amount," said the Armory Hero, a little hesitantly.

"Really, thank you," said the group, clearly eager to show that they could help, "We're more than ready, so whatever you need-."

"Don't thank me yet," said Darius, "The job is up north in the kingdom of Koteraan. I'm currently in the process of overthrowing the corrupt rulers and I could use some extra hands."

"You're what?!" exclaimed Rino, voicing the thought on everyone's mind.

"Itsuki left the place a mess," said Darius, "we're close to forcing the current regime to surrender but there's still a bit to do. You don't have to be directly involved in the fighting if you don't want too, but any help is appreciated. That being said, I won't force any of you to come along." Rino's group went into a huddle again as they discussed this newest possibility, especially the pros and cons.

'And he says I'm the mean one,' thought Naofumi as the group ceased their huddle. "We'll do it," said Rino, "Just tell us what you need." Darius smiled slightly in response to this before conjuring a small coin pouch and tossing it to them.

"That'll get you through the border guard," said Darius, "Meet me and Johann there as soon as you can and bring plenty of supplies, we've got some mansions and a castle to siege."

**The final interlude before the fall of Koteraan is done, and now our hero has reinforcements! Hello everyone, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and apologies if it seems a little out of place, but it felt like a good time to introduce Melty and who doesn't love seeing Motoyasu flying through the air. Though this chapter was also affected by a bit of news I have for everyone. I'm still planning on writing the story so no need to panic, but life is changing for me once again and my schedule is gonna be all over the place for the next few days, meaning the next couple of chapters have a high potential of coming out late. I had to put in a little extra work just to get this chapter out at the usual time. But enough bad news, just worry about the usual and leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the party meets a new friend and storms the main stronghold of the current ruling body.**


	14. The Fall and Rise of Koteraan

**The Fall and Rise of Koteraan**

Castle Town: Erhard's Shop

Filo was, uncomfortable to say the least. Why is she uncomfortable you might ask? The reason was quite simple really. For the past several minutes, her fellow mount and occasional rival, Johann, had been staring intently at her and wasn't showing any signs of letting up.

"What is it Johann, you're being creepy," said the little Filolial, deciding she couldn't take it anymore.

"Well I got this feeling, but there's no way it could be right," said the dragon mount as he crossed his arms and scratched his chin in thought.

"Well I feel like you're being rude," Filo replied, "So what is it? Why are you being creepy?!"

"Because I sense a fragment of the Dragon Emperor coming from you," answered Johann, "But that can't be right because not only are you not a dragon, there's no way you could beat one with a fragment of the Dragon Emperor within them."

"Heh, goes to show what you know," said Filo as she put her hands on her hips, "I actually tore up a dragon from the inside out. Sure it may have swallowed me first, but Filo bit and clawed her way out 'and' I ate a fragment of that dragon emper-whatever. Master tried not to show it but he was worried I wouldn't come back at one point."

"You ate a fragment of the Dragon Emperor?!" Questioned Johann with a mixture of surprise and disgust on his face. In the next instant, he reached out and attempted to put his hand down the Filolial's throat.

"Hey what gives-MMPHF," Filo attempted to answer back but couldn't talk so well with the boy's hand in her mouth. In response, she bit down on his fingers and got a pretty good yelp from the dragon in response. This quickly devolved into the two of them wrestling on the floor as Johann continually tried to shove his hand down her throat.

"Spit it out! Spit that fragment out right now!" yelled Johann as the two began rolling around and bumping into armor, weapon racks, and anything else within close proximity.

"I can't just cough it up you dumb meanie dragon!" Filo yelled back as she pushed against his face.

"Fine then I'll make you barf it up!" declared Johann as he attempted to remove Filo's outfit, which only made the Filolial punch, kick and bite harder.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" yelled Darius as he conjured a number of clawed chains from the wall which quickly pulled the fighting children apart and restrained them. "I turn my back for one minute, Johann, and not only are you fighting with Filo you're borderline sexually assaulting her!"

"I was not," Johann cried, "She's got a piece of the Dragon Emperor in her stomach and she won't cough it up! Those fragments are really important to a dragon like me."

Darius sighed before turning to his fellow hero. "What's he talking about Naofumi?"

"He might be referring to that large shard Filo swallowed while digging her way out of the zombie dragon," explained the Shield Hero, "I actually got a couple pieces on me that I was gonna have Erhard implant into my armor along with the repairs."

"See, I know what I'm talking about," commented Johann as he struggled against the chains.

"That doesn't make it okay for you to try making Filo puke," Chastised Darius, "Especially not when you're trying to disrobe her to do it!"

"Hold on," said Naofumi as he pulled a small purple crystal out of one of his pouches, "I might know how to solve this little dilemma. Could you let them down for a moment?" The Armory Hero looked uncertain for a moment but did as requested and released the mounts from their restraints. Naofumi then held out the crystal for Johann to look at. "This is also a piece of the crystal we got from the zombie dragon. If I give you some of this, will you agree to not trying to force the other part out of Filo, I do still need someone to pull a cart and she can't do that with a ton of stomach pain?"

Johann gave it a moment of thought before replying. "Well I guess it's better to have one that isn't covered in filthy Filolial stomach juices. But, to make sure it's fair, I'll give you this." The dragon boy reached and pulled a scale off of his back where his wings were protruding from and handed it to Naofumi. "Consider it a token of appreciation for bringing back a fragment of the great Dragon Emperor."

"Yeah sure thing," said Naofumi as they traded the items with the Shield Hero adding the scale to his cardinal weapon while Johann quickly swallowed the crystal. As Darius watched his Stats screen, he saw Johann jump up a whole level, causing him to hit the level cap of forty.

"And that's one step closer to being a full dragon," said Johann as he rubbed his stomach.

"Just don't try making trouble like that the next time he shows up with a fragment," said Darius as he turned back to the counter to take a look at a new set of armor and some weapons.

"You know I can't say impersonating another hero is the greatest idea out there," said Erhard as he indicated some armor plating which looked very similar to Itsuki's, "but if it's helping you solve the problem of a whole country, then I'd recommend this. It's the same type the Bow Hero actually wears and the magic iron in it has been enhanced to resist stuff like blight damage."

"So there's not much you can do with the old set then," noted Darius.

"To be honest, I'm amazed you even still had armor with as much blight as it was exposed too," replied Erhard, "not to mention, it seemed to have some kind of curse on it that reduced its value with degradation. I don't have the means to treat both the blight and that, so this was a better option. I also got you some new armor for that weasel friend of yours along with a mace and those daggers you requested. I'll give you a slight discount on some of it since I couldn't complete the initial job you asked me to do."

"You're still asking a pretty penny for it, though, aren't you," said Darius as he pulled out some gold pieces, "Luckily, it turns out you can make a profit raiding mercenary camps so I'll take it."

"And that kind of attitude is why you and the Shield Hero are some of my favorite customers," said Erhard with a grin as he accepted the money. Darius proceeded to open a portal and transport all the new items to his inventory before turning around and heading for the door.

"I'm gonna stop by the church real fast," said the cardinal hero to Naofumi as he paused at the door, "I still need some answers."

"Don't expect a straight response from them," warned the Shield Hero, "I met the Pope while I was there a couple hours ago. He's a patronizing old prick that seems to enjoy the sound of his own voice."

"Any info at all is better than nothing," replied Darius as he opened the door, "I'll keep you updated the usual way, but I doubt I'll be back until right before the next wave hits."

"Be careful," Raphtalia called from the changing room, "And take care of Rifana too!"

"Only so long as you keep these two out of trouble while we're gone," the Armory Hero called back before exiting the shop with Johann. The dragon boy was obviously in a good mood now, as he walked along humming happily to himself. It made for a more pleasant journey with him not asking for anything to eat or stopping him from charging a Filolial for looking at him wrong. Though another source of concern made itself known as a voice called from a darkened alley.

"Sir Armory Hero, a moment," said a female voice so softly that the two of them nearly missed it. Darius was quick to conjure a dagger in his right hand, which he hid slightly behind his back before turning to the source of the voice. It was another one of the women who'd shown up in Lute village with the royal decree that forced Malty to challenge them to a race.

"And you are?" Questioned Darius cautiously as he glanced around for any other possible threats.

"I am known as a shadow," replied the masked woman, "I serve her highness, the Queen of Melromarc. I was recently informed by Princess Melty that you would be willing to hear her out on some certain issues."

"Only if she's actually able to help us and not, ya know, trying to frame us for another crime or anything," said Johann, "I mean I think she's alright but I can't speak for the Boss." The shadow seemed to understand as she withdrew a letter with the royal seal from her pouch and presented it to Darius.

"This is a copy of a letter sent by the queen herself," explained the hooded woman, "it contains an explanation for the current state of affairs here in Melromarc as well as a small document containing some information on the Three Heroes Chruch, more than you are likely to find if you are heading where I suspect you're heading."

"And what's the catch if I accept this letter?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow.

"All your acceptance means is that you're willing to listen to Princess Melty the next time you meet," replied the Shadow, "You do not need to agree with her or even pretend that you like what she has to say."

"Fair enough," said Darius as he accepted the letter, "But now that I think of it, I do have a condition for accepting this."

"And what might that be Sir Hero?" Inquired the Shadow with a tilt of her head.

"I need relief supplies sent into the country of Koteraan up North," informed Darius, "It doesn't have to be today but within the next couple of days. You see if all goes well, a new monarch will soon be sitting on the throne who isn't interested in taxing their citizens well beyond the legal limit. If Princess Melty can accomplish that, then not only will I listen but I may be able to convince other less willing parties to listen. Do those terms sound agreeable?"

"I cannot personally say," replied the shadow, "But I've known Princess Melty and her mother for many years now, and I've learned that if it's for the good of the kingdom they'll move both mountain and sky to accomplish the task set before them."

"Then hopefully we're both right about her," said the Armory Hero. The shadow nodded one last time before fading back into the darkness.

"How long do you think those people have been keeping an eye on us?" Questioned Johann with his arms crossed.

"Likely since before you were hatched," surmised Darius, "either way they only appear to be equipped for scouting and delivering messages, which is why we didn't get any help against that Leshen. But it's a problem for another day. Right now we need to get to the border, Rino's party will be there before we know it."

"You got it Boss," replied Johann as he shifted into his dragon form. The last sight either of them had of the kingdom was the capital shrinking into the distance.

Some Time Later: Koteraan, Camp of the 'Bow Hero'

The journey back took a bit more time with the Armory Hero and his mount having to stop and wait on the wagons, so it was practically sunset by the time they arrived at the camp. Darius had taken the liberty of switching back to his disguise shortly after crossing the border and had been quick to order Rino and the others to refer to him as the Bow Hero or just Sir Hero. When they arrived, the group found something of a surprise waiting for them. "What is that," asked the lead guard as he and the rest of the group gazed at a prison wagon which was currently being used to carry the corpse of an antlered beast.

"That, was a monster known as the Cursed Leshen of the Dark Swamp," explained Darius as he noted the marred skull which still had some of the decayed gold on it from his curse series. "A prick from the Three Heroes Church unsealed it in an attempt to expose me as a false hero. We managed to bring it down but only just barely."

"We all would've died if not for you Sir Hero," said Figneria as she and Rifana came walking out of the camp towards them.

"Rifana!" Cheered Rino as she ran and hugged the weasel girl, "I'm so glad to see that you're okay."

"And it's good to see you're okay as well, and you brought friends," noted Rifana as she looked at the group lead by the guard.

"I assume you already made sure they were all trustworthy," questioned Figneria as she eyed each member of Rino's party.

"We came here to help mam," said the lead guard as he stepped forward, "We owe the Shield Hero's party and Rifana for saving our friends and relatives in Lute Village, so we wish to help him and his allies as much as we can."

"And this here is Rino," explained Rifana, "she's the one we freed from slavery several days ago. I didn't know you'd get back into adventuring so soon."

"Well I wanted to quit, especially when I saw how worried my family and friends were after you dropped me off at my village," said Rino, "but then I saw some of the damage to my home from some creatures left over by the last wave and I realized that being an adventurer was the best way to fight back. Not to mention, I finally know which heroes actually have the good of the people in mind."

"Then I hope you're well-prepared," said Figneria as she indicated the Leshen corpse, "because we shall be fighting monsters in human-shape, and to do that, we'll be spreading fear throughout the land." Everyone nodded nervously at that as the gathered party gazed upon the dead creature. The time had come, for the final march on the rulers of the land.

Mansion of A Corrupt Noble: Two Days Later

'How is this happening,' thought the Noble as he paced throughout his large home. It was a relatively large estate with a red roof and an elegant lawn enclosed by a high wall. But those walls may as well have been a prison on this misty morning as he looked out from the top floor. 'Our forces might not have had time to properly organize since the country was taken over by the revolutionaries, but even then what kind of terrifying force could capture or kill the soldiers at every noble's mansion in such a short time?'

What was worse, no actual messengers had been able to escape, and the ones who did escape were in a terrified state, yelling that the Bow Hero had returned riding the corpse of a dreaded beast. Despite his best efforts, the wild stories had spread throughout his mansion as they had through the country, causing fear to run rampant. Some of his guards had already fled when it was discovered the next nearest mansion had fallen and there's would likely be next. 'I have to think of something, anything!' He was on the verge of panic as scenario after scenario ran through his head.

That was when he saw it out in the mist, the movement of a large shadow. At first he thought it was his eyes playing tricks on him because of the fog and his panic, but the shape became clearer over time and refused to disappear. Other shapes also became prevalent around the wall of the mansion, and they were moving to surround it. 'No, he can't be, not this soon!' As the largest shadow emerged, his greatest fears were confirmed.

A prison wagon was rolling forward on the road leading up to his mansion gate with the remains of a great beast, no, a legendary beast draped across it. The skull was unmistakable to those familiar with the old stories of Koteraan, the antlered visage of the Cursed Leshen. He'd been afraid when he'd heard rumor that it'd been freed, but looking upon it now, he was even more afraid of the one standing atop it with a bow in his left hand. 'I have to think of something quickly,' he realized as he rushed to a particular room where another prize of his was currently being held.

Outside the mansion, several of the guards had exited the gate and stood ready, but also shakily, in the path of the approaching threat as it stopped a couple hundred feet from the gate. "I am the Bow Hero!" declared the figure as he held his weapon above his head, "For those of you who once doubted, you need only look upon the corpse of this beast. It was declared that only a cardinal hero could slay it and so I have! Therefore I speak with the authority of a hero when I say, disperse!"

The 'Bow Hero' readied an arrow and fired it at the gate behind the guards, knocking them both off their hinges with a powerful blast of wind. "Let those who still doubt, step forward and challenge me!" The terrifying display proved to be relatively effective as at least half of the twenty assembled guards began to flee, with only the bravest or at least the most foolish, remaining. "I see you've all made your choice."

The guards began their attack then, charging at the wagon as the cardinal hero leapt off and fired another wind arrow, scattering the gathered soldiers as he landed. The few who remained standing attempted to charge him, only for a couple to receive some direct arrows to their hearts while the one who managed to get close enough was rewarded with a powerful blow to the back of his head with the bow. 'Even faster than the last one,' thought Darius as he approached the gate. Figneria, Rifana, Rino and the others joined him from either side of the wall, some with fresh blood on their weapons.

"We took out most of the ones who were fleeing and captured the ones who surrendered," said Rifana as she cleaned her weapon. "like last time we let enough go to spread a little more fear."

"I'm just glad we didn't have to use the village militia like we did on the first couple," said Darius as he glanced at the ones surrounding the mansion. Many of them had acquired basic armor from the mercenary camps as well as basic weapons. Figneria had used some of her spare time to train them a little in combat as well as surrounding tactics. It made for an intimidating front, especially with the help of the two mages in Rino's party creating excess fog, but none of them were quite ready yet for a full scale battle.

"I guess all that's left now is to storm the mansion like we did the last few," said Rino as they started to head inside the gate. But as they entered, the lord of the manor came rushing out. He wasn't overly large but he was clearly well fed, with a head of short red hair wrapped in a silk cloth and red side burns. Accompanying him, or rather being pulled along by him, was a green-haired girl with two long braids which went down her back. She was also wearing a green tunic with yellow lines and knee-length boots.

"Wait Sir Hero, please hear me out for a moment!" exclaimed the noble as he neared them. 'This should be good,' was the overwhelming thought on everyone's mind. "I would like to offer a deal to you, a repentance for my crimes!" He pulled the girl forward, causing her to stumble and fall to her knees as Darius and the rest of his group stopped a few feet from him. "This girl is the daughter of another noble who was given to me in payment until he clears his debt with me!"

Even with the mask on, it was obvious the cardinal hero was quirking his eyebrow at this statement. "I'm willing to forgive his debt and all the other debts owed to me and you may take this girl to do with as you like in exchange for sparing me and my mansion." Darius glanced at the girl on the ground for a moment before turning his attention back to the noble, proceeding to whip him across the face with his replica bow. The blow was strong enough to cause blood to seep from his nose as he fell to the ground.

"I don't think you quite understand why we're here," said the disguised hero, "you've already taken far too much from the people that even cancelling their debts now wouldn't do any good. No, we're here to take back the money you gained by setting the tax on those in your domain well beyond the limit set by the crown. Which is why I'm invoking my authority as a cardinal hero to take it all back. As for you, the people will decide your fate, take him." Two of the guards from Rino's group nodded before grabbing and dragging the noble away, who kicked and screamed the entire time as Darius signaled everyone else to head into the mansion.

The locals they'd brought with them would ransack much of the mansion and use the money and other items of value to revitalize their own towns and villages. The noble, assuming the people didn't decide to simply kill him off, would get whatever was left, much like the people he'd so readily taken from. Though this time there was one other matter to take care of. "Are you alright?" Questioned Darius as he helped the green-haired girl to her feet.

"I'm, uh, better now," said the girl sheepishly as she looked around, "w-who are you?"

"Just a cardinal hero," replied Darius, "in the process of trying to clean up a messy country, and you are?"

"My name is Rishia, Rishia Ivyred," said the girl, "tell me, do you know if my family is doing okay?"

"Ivyred, as in the nobles in the farm house," Questioned Figneria with a hand on her chin.

"Yes that's them," affirmed Rishia, "We were drowning in debt and being sabotaged by bandits who later disguised themselves as adventurers from the guild. The noble of this household forged a request from us and then kidnapped me as collateral until they were able to pay the fine."

"I don't think that'll be a problem much longer," said Figneria as she happened to glance behind them and waved a couple of people over who'd just entered. "It so happens that we've been looking for a noble's daughter, among other stolen items in the hands of corrupt lords."

"Then you really-FATHER, MOTHER!" cheered the now freed girl as she rushed to the pair that had been approaching them. One was a wizened old man with grey temples mixed in with his brown hair, while the other was the spitting image of her daughter if she were a few years older. They dressed with enough flair to mark them as different from common folk, but at the same time they weren't overly extravagant. But nobles or not, it was a warming sight to see a daughter reunited with her parents.

"Thank you, thank you all so much!" exclaimed the father, "I promise you you'll be rewarded as soon as we're able to scrape something together."

"Now just hold up there," said Darius as he raised his hand, "We'll get a bit from this mansion like we have the others before it. Right now the ones who need something are all of you, especially if you're financial situation is as bad as I hear."

"But it's only right that we thank you for your help in rescuing Rishia," said the father.

"If it's not money, then is there something else we can do for you?" Questioned the Mother. The group seemed to ponder for a moment before Figneria finally spoke up.

"We need a ruler," said the Mercenary Woman, "Or at the very least someone to help maintain order until the country can be fully stabilized again. The problems of this land won't simply go away once we remove the Revolutionary leaders. We also need as much information about the King's castle as you can give us." Rishia's father seemed to ponder this for a moment before nodding.

"I can call a special session of the remaining nobles who've managed to remain honest during these times," said the man, "there are only a handful of us, but it should be enough to at least form a council to elect a successor. As for the castle, I'm afraid it's been some time since my last visit."

"But I remember the castle father!" exclaimed Rishia, "I can recall every nook and cranny I used to play in before the king began taking away our authority and stopped inviting us. I even remember an escape tunnel I discovered on accident playing hide and seek!"

"So that's why we couldn't find you that evening," commented her Mother.

"Any detail you can give us will help," said Rifana, "Because the castle, is our next stop." Everyone nodded in agreement. The time had come to end this little campaign.

Late that Evening: Castle of the Revolutionary King of Koteraan

The throne room was quiet for the moment with the only person speaking being the messenger, or rather the terrified soldier who'd come knocking on the castle gates. It took a solid half hour to finally calm him down enough before he could speak a coherent sentence, but once they heard what he had to say, his terror became all too understandable. "So you're telling me that not only was the Leshen, a spawn of death on this land from generations ago, freed by this outsider from Melromarc but that it was actually defeated?" Said the current King, a man with a mane of brown hair and a goatee.

His red robes and crown made it obvious of his position and those who didn't know any better would've assumed he was always royalty and not some freedom fighter who'd risen through the ranks. Now it seemed that their enjoyment of success was already coming to an end, all by the one who'd made it possible in the first place. "I'm afraid so sire," said the soldier, "the one who stood atop his corpse also wielded a powerful bow. If what we've heard is correct, a cardinal weapon is able to change shape, which means that this person must be the Bow Hero. How else could he command a dragon and a small army of villagers and adventurers?"

"But the biggest question has yet to be answered," said the King as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees, "Why is the Bow Hero assaulting this country and why is he coming here?"

"It's very possible he does not approve of our conduct," said a man standing on the King's right. He wore glasses and a purple turban-like hat on his head. "When we enlisted his help to overthrow the last king, it was because he was overtaxing us. Given that we've all taken to enjoying the luxuries of the crown and have allowed the nobles to do as they please, it's created a similar situation."

"Which was why we were hiring the mercenaries in the first place," remarked the King, "to silent their dissent before it could spread throughout the country like ours did."

"It appears discontent was far more widespread than we feared," said the Adviser, "it's very possible some of the refugees got word to Melromarc and the Bow Hero caught wind of it."

"But that doesn't explain why his approach is so different this time," said the King as he stroked his bearded face, "before, the Bow Hero wanted to be discrete. It took me days to finally convince him to reveal that he was a cardinal hero. Now he's shown no interest in discretion and has been slaughtering our mercenaries left and right. Fear is the most rampant emotion running through this country at the moment, even more so than dissent."

"Indeed the story has already spread through the ranks of the guards," said the Adviser, "a number of them have not reported to their posts and what's worse, the rumors of the Bow Hero's conquest has made it impossible to convince a single mercenary to work for us."

"Do we have any defenses at all at this point?" Questioned the King as he tried to keep his voice steady.

"We're running on less than half the guard," informed the Adviser, "those who haven't been imprisoned or killed for desertion have fled to the far reaches of the country or even out of it. Only the most loyal remain now."

"Then we'll have to try throwing together a bribe or offer a deal," Said the King, "but whatever we do it needs to be quick before-." The sound of the throne room doors crashing open interrupted him as another guard came rushing in.

"My lords, I've received a report from the front gate," said the guard, "He's here?"

"Who's here?" Questioned the Adviser, fearing he already knew the answer.

"The Bow Hero sir," said the head guard, "and he's brought help." Both the King and Adviser needed no encouragement as they rushed out of the throne room. There had to be a way to salvage this situation, there had too.

Outside the castle, Darius was again standing atop the body of the Leshen with his replica bow in hand. Figneria, Rifana, Johann and Rino's group were all present as well as a large group of brave villagers with assorted weapons and shields. Rishia was also there, having offered to help out in any way she could, even donning some armor over her outfit. The weasel girl was now wearing some additions of silver armor to her usual attire and wielded a more menacing looking mace with curved edges and pointed spikes. Figneria was sporting two new curved daggers with gold designs etched into the blades, one of which had a red gem while the other had a blue gem to increase her magic.

It wasn't an army by any means, but it still gave off an intimidating aura as the King appeared at the top of the wall to look upon the sight. "Ah Sir Hero!" called the Revolutionary Ruler, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I doubt you'll call it a pleasure when you hear what I've got to say," Darius called back, his voice a little muffled by the covering on his face, "You see I've come to express my severe, disappointment, with your revolutionary buddies and most of all with you. I was under the impression that when I handed this country over to the Revolutionary forces, the state of it would change for the better. But you've not only continued the practices of the ones you hated but also made the situation worse by hiring mercenaries to hunt down and kill your own people. Not to mention, one of your allies foolishly unleashed a creature of darkness upon the land who'd been sealed for decades."

"My men were not responsible for freeing the abomination upon which you stand now," said the King.

"Not directly," said Darius, "But they colluded with the man named Aulder from the Three Heroes Church in an attempt to disprove my status as a cardinal hero. Fortunately for everyone in this country I was able to put a stop to it. Tell me, did your men even consider the consequences if we hadn't succeeded?"

"I assure you I wouldn't have approved of it if I'd been there," said the Former Revolutionary Leader, "But I am here now and I'm willing to offer a deal. You may have anything in my Kingdom in exchange for leaving here and allowing us to handle our own affairs."

"This isn't about what 'I' want, per se," Darius replied as he shifted the bow around in his hand, "This is about what the people want or rather need, and that's for you to return the excess taxes you've put on them and to step down as ruler."

"But you know what it took to overthrow the last ruler!" exclaimed the King, "It was only with your help that justice was served and evil was removed! Do you not remember our time fighting side by side for a better tomorrow, we can still do that now!"

"I remember fighting alongside a man I believed was honorable," said Darius, "A mistake I don't intend to make a second time. You have my terms: step down without resistance and put yourself at the mercy of the people and I'll see to it that your life is spared. Otherwise, we'll remove you like the last one was removed." The King didn't know what to do.

On the one hand, he could surrender and accept his punishment, which the Bow Hero had promised would not include death. But it would mean giving up everything including his freedom to do so. If he decided to fight, however, he would likely die at the hands of the cardinal hero. What stopped him from outright surrendering, though, was an odd detail he noted. The Bow Hero seemed different somehow.

The last time he'd met the Bow Hero, he'd been concealing his identity as well, but the former Rebel Leader had managed to take note of a few important details such as the way he talked and how he carried himself. This person did indeed possess a bow much like his, but he was too tall and the way he held himself was less prideful, as if he was simply doing a job. His speech was also a bit less dramatic and more to the point. Whoever this was, he was not the Bow Hero he'd met before, and with that realization a plan began to form within the mind of the King. "You've made a convincing argument," he said, "and you've put on an even more convincing act. But I think I see now what has happened! You wish to deceive us and claim that you possess authority that you do not. I see through the lie, however, so my answer is this, DIE!"

The archers along the wall readied their bows then as Darius leapt off the wagon and onto Johann. "Shields up," ordered Darius as he fired a wind arrow into the onslaught of projectiles, scattering a fair number, "begin the siege!" A chorus of yells answered his call as Rifana jumped onto the dragon's back while Rino and Figneria followed Rishia around the wall, dodging arrows and other projectiles along the way. In the meantime, Johann quickly took flight and circled the castle.

"Man the ballistas, shoot them out of the sky!" commanded the King before turning and retreating from the wall.

"Well he's a brave one," commented Rifana sarcastically as they turned around in the air for an attack. Arrows clanged off of Johann's scales as he veered out of the way of the larger ballista bolts before unleashing a wave of fire on one section of the wall, effectively destroying two of the large weapons at the front gate.

"Arrow Storm!" yelled the Armory Hero as he opened up a portal in front of his bow and released a shower of projectiles on some of the soldiers within the wall. Several soldiers fell as the defenders scrambled to regroup and focus their aim on the airborne threat. Then, with little warning, a fireball shot up in the air from a central tower in the castle before bursting above them, raining several smaller fireballs at them.

"Hang on!" Yelled Johann as he twisted and spiraled in the air, deflecting most of the fireballs with his wings. The ones that did get through managed to scorch both Rifana's armor and Darius's green cape.

"They have a mage, how about that," said the cardinal hero as he quickly patted out a smoldering spot on his shoulder.

"We need to split their defenses more," said Rifana, "I'll get the gate open if you can handle that mage."

"Johann, you land and fight in the courtyard with her," said Darius, "And try not to slam me into the wall on this drop."

"You got it boss," said Johann as he dove to avoid another fireball before pulling up sharply and turning by the tower, allowing his rider to leap off and roll before coming up to one knee with his bow ready. He then proceeded to drop Rifana off, who created a shower of rock using earth magic to soften her landing.

"You made a grave mistake coming here," said the mage as he charged a wind spell in his hand, "I can sense your power and it is not that of the Bow Hero!" He fired a blast of swirling air then, which Darius countered with his own wind arrow, canceling the two attacks out.

"But I am a cardinal hero," said Darius as he fired another arrow which the mage halted with a barrier of fire, "Which means this is still my job." He continued firing wind arrow after wind arrow into the flaming barrier, eventually scattering the flames. Unfortunately, that's when he noticed a small whirlwind forming above him.

"Now become nothing but debris, false hero!" yelled the mage as he commanded the attack to descend upon Darius. A large amount of dust was kicked up with the impact, but for some reason, there was no blood. The answer as to why came as the dust cleared to reveal a boulder made out of shields and other assorted weapons.

"Phalanx Series: Rolling Armory Shell!" shouted Darius from within the weapons boulder as it rolled forward and slammed into the surprised mage before falling apart and returning to his inventory. "As said, I'm not the Bow Hero. I'm the Armory Hero, not that it really means much to a dead man." Indeed all that was left of the mage was a skewered corpse as Darius turned his attention to the front gate, which Johann was currently thrashing around at while Rifana slammed her mace on the turning wheel, breaking the chain which held the door closed.

The large drawbridge descended with a large amount of force and slammed on the ground with a resounding boom as the gathered guards backed away from it. "The gate's down! Everyone inside!" Yelled the lead guard from Rino's group as they charged in with covering lightning strikes from the mages in their party. The Armory Hero also took that moment to leap off the tower and descend with the help of one of his clawed chains, landing a short distance away from Rifana as he conjured the replica legendary weapon again.

"I knew the guard would be lower," said Rifana, "But these guys are terrified. Now that the gate's open they're on the run." In fact any guard that was still brave enough to try fighting was being quickly dealt with by Rino's party, the mob of villagers or, the most unlucky, by Johann.

"I guess all that's left is to find the king," said Darius, "I just hope we're not too late to stop him from escaping."

Tunnel beneath the Castle

"My liege," said the Adviser as he, the King and a couple of guards hurried along the secret escape route. It had been built into the castle years before even the last king had taken the throne. "Are you certain that is not the Bow Hero out there?"

"His voice and mannerisms are different," said the Revolutionary King, "I did not know him well, but I caught on to what kind of man the real Bow Hero was while working with him. He would've snuck in the castle instead of bringing a whole fighting force and then used his authority as a cardinal hero to either demand our agreement to his terms or, failing that, simply kill us. The approach of this faux hero is very different from that, meant to spread fear and panic while insuring all know who they're dealing with. He may be too powerful for us to handle here but he does not have the authority of a cardinal hero. If we can escape the country and enlist the help of some of our allies, we may retake the kingdom yet."

"I see," said the Adviser, "We could possibly even enlist the help of the other cardinal heroes. I imagine they'd love to hear the story of the Leshen Lord who overthrew our kingdom disguised as one of them."

"And ideas like those are why I named you my Adviser," remarked the King before he was forced to stop by the guards in front of him. "What's wrong? Why aren't we fleeing?" The answer to his question came when both guards suddenly fell backwards, the cause of which being a pair of throwing knives in their throats. "What, this cannot be!"

"I'm afraid it is, your majesty," said Figneria as she came walking out of the shadows cast by the torches the guards were carrying, "As a revolutionary, you know how to create a movement from nothing. So letting you escape is out of the question."

"You'll never take me alive!" yelled the King as he reached for his sword.

"As source of thy power I order thee," said Rishia as the man charged at them, "decipher the laws of nature and repel my enemy with a jet of water!" The spell created a blast of water from her hands which knocked the charging ruler back and into his Adviser, drenching them both.

"You've taken enough from the people," said the green-haired girl, "Now please surrender."

"I'd listen to her," said a voice from behind them as the so-called faux hero and the mace-wielding weasel girl stepped into the light, "Because there's nowhere left for you to run."

"W-who are you," coughed the King as he struggled to his feet with his Adviser, "You're not the Bow Hero, yet you and your party wield so much power."

"True enough," replied Darius as he dissolved his replica bow and pulled his mask and hood down, "I'm not Itsuki, but I am a cardinal hero. So consider this you're day of retirement your highness, because your country now belongs to the party of the Armory Hero."

**At long last, the country of Koteraan has been freed! And Rino's party now has more than enough silver for that little accessory. In the meantime, Hello everyone, I hoped you enjoyed this latest chapter. Though it comes with a bit of bad news as well, the next chapter likely will take more than a week to get out because dad gum did I cut it close with this one and lose a little sleep too. But that's my little issue, for now just let me know what you liked/disliked about this chapter and if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as we finally reach the arrival of the next wave! 'Til then.**


	15. How to Trigger Boss Monsters

**How To Trigger Boss Monsters **

**Alright, time to try out answering guest reviews: Only one main question this week and that is Darius's connection to the false cardinal weapon. Unfortunately I can't spoil it, but the cardinal hero does have something to do with the replica weapon.**

Castle of the King of Koteraan

The view from the massive balcony of the royal chambers was breathtaking. From up here one could see for miles and take in the beautiful landscape of a country which had once seemed like it was teetering on the edge of collapse. One could easily get lost in their own imaginations staring out into the distance. Although despite all of this beauty, two things marred what would've otherwise been a serene setting.

The first was the presence of ever growing storm clouds which were currently forming over the castle with the occasional flash of lightning. The second issue which interrupted the peace of the twilight scene was the sight of numerous dead soldiers littering the ground out in front of the castle, their bodies impaled and broken by countless weapons while their blood mixed with the soil and turned the road into a sickly red color. The one responsible for all of this death was currently sitting on the balcony upon a throne formed by weapons, his hand currently supporting his head which was covered with a skull-like mask that sported two antler-like horns. 'This could be you,' said a deep voice from seemingly out of nowhere, 'the country is already yours, now you need only embrace the power of greed and sloth within you.'

The figure shifted his gaze without responding to the voice as he spotted another approaching column of soldiers marching down the road. 'You've been granted the mantle of one who isn't hardly acknowledged in legend despite the contributions of your predecessors. So instead you should begin your own legend here by embracing every last bit of your destructive power. You'll become more than a hero, you will be a ruler who can shape the world as he sees fit. And for those who oppose you.'

The figure stood up then, revealing his outfit to be a modified version of the one worn by the Armory Hero, with white monster skin replacing his scarf cape and scaled boots and bracers over his hands and feet. He was also not alone as a large azure dragon landed behind him, carrying a fierce-looking demi-human girl with intimidating bandit-style armor and a woman with two wicked looking daggers wearing dark purple armor which still managed to leave little to the imagination. 'This can all be yours if you simply give in,' said the voice as the figure picked up a demonic-looking version of Raisetsu and raised it towards the sky, summoning a large white portal above the balcony. He pointed his weapon towards the approaching soldiers then as a number of gold weapons emerged and flew out of the portal, creating a mass of explosions on impact. To sum it up simply, it was a terrifying scene for all to behold.

Royal Chambers of the Castle of Koteraan

'Oh what the fuck,' thought Darius as his eyes almost shot open, 'since when does one have nightmares after celebrating?' And it had been quite a celebration as numerous people from the nearby villages had come to partake in the festivities of their new found freedom. It was mostly supposed to be a distribution of funds to help the other villages recover as well as a gathering of trustworthy nobles. Clearly they wanted to start the new rule off right as they'd arrived with numerous types of food, drinks and gifts to share with the people.

Any hope of maintaining complete order after that was lost as the villagers ate, drank and sang the songs of their country well into the night. They'd also begged Darius to let them perform a ceremonial burning of the remains of the Leshen, leaving only its skull to hang in the great hall of the castle in his honor. The Armory Hero thought it was a bit much, but the people were insistent so he eventually agreed. Johann wasn't complaining as he got to eat as much as he wanted while Rifana and Rino revealed their ability to dance. Even Figneria was convinced to demonstrate some ceremonial blade forms for the crowd's enjoyment.

As for how Darius wound up sleeping in the royal chambers, well, it wasn't really his idea. Once the party died down a little, Johann fell asleep in dragon form inside the throne room while Rifana led the cardinal hero upstairs to the room to get away from the crowd for a bit. The plan, according to his weasel-eared companion, was to get some actual rest before heading back to Melromarc the next day. Figneria had different plans, however, as she entered the chambers shortly afterwards in order to teach Darius, in her words, a valuable lesson about pleasing women.

'And damn what a lesson it was,' thought the Otaku as he glanced to his left side to see Rifana snuggled up against him. He did frown, however, once he brushed his hand across a recent scar on her bare left side, one that she'd gotten from a small bit of the Greed Series molten gold. 'Heh, embrace the powers of Greed and Sloth, not if the fallout takes those closest to me.' "Something on your mind Sir Hero," said another voice on his right as Figneria lifted herself up from beneath the covers. His former weapons teacher was currently pressed against his right shoulder while also holding onto his right arm.

"I was just thinking," said Darius, "I hope this doesn't turn out like that Game of Thrones show I've heard about."

"I'm afraid I don't catch your meaning Darius," said Figneria, her concern showing given how she used his actual name, "though it doesn't sound pleasant."

"It's a book and TV series from my world," explained the cardinal hero, "it's got a lot more of, this, in it. But also a whole lot of people dying, both good and bad. And dragons too, but they take forever to show up."

"A shame I didn't have such a thing to read while I was bored at Reichnott's mansion," said the mercenary woman as she released her former student and sat up in the bed, "though if someone were to create a book of these events, I might be tempted to read that as well."

"I doubt it'll be as interesting," said Darius, "A whole lot less political intrigue and whatnot. Not to mention it'd probably be best to leave this part out anyway."

"And why would you say that?" Questioned Figneria as she stood out of the bed, causing Darius to avert his eyes a little out of habit as she picked up her cloak and held it to her chest. "You started your journey in this world meeting and receiving training from the Queen of all Filolials herself, Fitoria, then hardly two days after that you end the reign of a horrendous noble and free several children in the process. After your training with me you went on to fight in the first wave and stood up to the king of Melromarc himself, both within the same day. You've also provided aid to numerous people, including freeing Rino when her own party betrayed her, all while helping the Shield Hero to save a village from the Spear Hero's lack of foresight. Now, just under two months since you're arrival, you've managed to succeed where another cardinal hero failed by liberating an entire country."

"Not to mention," Figneria cupped her hand under his chin, "you're also the only student I've ever given this particular test too, and for it being your first time your performance was, satisfactory. Even if not for me it certainly was for her." Darius glanced at Rifana as the girl began to stir a bit. "So if a story of your exploits does get written one day, I'd want every exquisite detail of this particular scene."

"Could you include how sleepy I am in this part too," groaned the weasel girl as her eyes finally opened, "last night was more fun than it probably should've been. Do we have to get up today?"

"Afraid so," said Darius as he brushed some of Rifana's hair out of her eyes, "the wave isn't gonna wait on us and I doubt you want to get teleported while in your birthday suit."

"So this is what they mean when they say no rest for the weary," said Rifana before yawning and sitting up, "we should also probably talk about what happened last night."

"That might be-," Darius started to say before a knock sounded on the door, or rather several irritated sounding knocks.

"Hey, are you guys awake?!" exclaimed Johann from the other side of the door. "Rino and the rest of her party have already had breakfast and left for the capital! If we don't hurry it'll be lunch time before we get there!"

"Yeah we're up," Darius called back, "just give us a sec to collect a couple of things."

"I guess I'd better help then," said Johann as he began to push open the door, "Collecting things sounds like it'd take a bit."

"NOOOOOO!" Darius and Rifana yelled at the same time before the Armory Hero barred the door with some of his chains, "We'll be out soon, until then please, do not come in here."

"Alright, geez," said Johann, "You'd think I was walking in on you in the bathroom or something." 'Oh if you only knew,' thought everyone before the two party members realized that they'd probably be the ones teaching him about it one day.

"I'd better prepare myself as well," said Figneria as she pulled on her own clothes, "someone needs to insure the election of a fair leader proceeds smoothly. So I wish you two the best of luck and may we meet again." Her former students nodded in appreciation as they proceeded to pull their own outfits back on.

Several Hours Later: Outside of Castle Town in Melromarc

It didn't take them long to get breakfast and pack up for the flight back, especially with Darius checking the countdown clock on his HUD for the arrival time of the next wave. But it didn't keep the flight from being a bit awkward along the way as the two party members tried and failed several times to hold a lasting conversation. A fact which even Johann was able to pick up on. "So did something happen last night?" Questioned the flying dragon as they approached the capital of Melromarc, "You and the Boss have been acting all weird this morning?"

"It's, well, hard to explain," Said Rifana with a sigh, "we're just thinking over a recent decision."

"I, think I understand," said Johann, "kinda like how I was wondering if eating some of that purple fruit was okay yesterday. I don't feel bad, but it did turn my tongue purple and this morning it still is. Now I don't know if it'll ever go back to normal."

"I'm pretty sure it will," said Darius, "Now we'd best set down and head in. Naofumi's gonna meet us at that little restaurant he likes to frequent, but he won't wait on us to order food, especially with a hungry Filo nagging him."

"Then we'd best double time it," said Johann as he headed for the trees, "I'm not gonna let that bird ruin my lunch by eating in front of me while I wait on mine." As it turned out, that wasn't the only problem waiting for them at the designated meeting spot.

Local Restaurant and Inn

'You've got to be kidding me,' was the collective thought on the minds of both Naofumi and Darius's parties as they noticed two particular individuals eating a couple tables over from them, Ren and Itsuki. "So, any idea why out of the hundred plus places to eat in just this section of the capital alone those two decide to eat here?" Questioned the Armory Hero.

"Who knows," said Naofumi, "but they're not trying to attack us in the middle of the street like Motoyasu, so we can probably just ignore them."

"I'm just ready to eat some yummy food, so I say let's dig in!" exclaimed Filo as their server arrived with a tray of said edible morsels. It took about two seconds for her and Johann to get into another speed-eating contest. Despite the noise the two were making, though, the cardinal heroes managed to catch a few words of Ren and Itsuki's conversation, such as how both of them couldn't get rewards for their most recent quests. They actually listened more closely when it was mentioned that a lord to the North was overtaxing his people and hiring mercenaries.

'Sounds like the guild's a bit behind on the news,' thought Darius as he went to take a bite of his food. "Well, it seems like someone needs to be taught that with great power comes great responsibility." Said Itsuki to the party member who'd brought him the news. Naofumi immediately spat out what he'd been drinking while Darius nearly choked on the food he'd just put in his mouth before coughing it back up.

"Ew, that's gross master!" exclaimed Filo as she wiped the spit off of her.

"Sorry Filo," said the Shield Hero with an actual smile on his face.

"I think I physically felt Stan Lee turn in his grave just now," added Darius as he wiped his mouth. Unfortunately, this little display was too much for the Bow and Sword Hero to ignore.

"And what exactly do you two find so funny right now?" Questioned Itsuki as he and Ren approached their table.

"Oh, we'd just had no idea a radioactive spider bit you," joked Naofumi.

"A radioactive what?" Questioned Itsuki, clearly confused at such a statement.

"It seems they don't have Marvel comics in their versions of Japan," whispered Darius.

"Yeah, so just forget we said anything," said Naofumi as they tried to go back to their meal.

"It's you two isn't it," accused Itsuki, "you've been impersonating us to steal our jobs and take the rewards for yourselves."

"Why in the world would I want to impersonate either of you?" Questioned Naofumi dismissively.

"Because who else would think up something like that," said Itsuki as he pointed at Darius, "with his abilities you could easily convince people that you're us."

"You're only half right," said the Armory Hero, "Naofumi never impersonated anyone he just cleaned up the mess that Ren left behind."

"What mess?" Questioned the Sword Hero with a raised eyebrow.

"I put a stop to an epidemic in a village," said Naofumi, "an epidemic you caused by leaving the corpse of that dragon you slayed to rot. The job request was cancelled because I got rid of it."

"It caused a what?" Said a shocked Ren as his eyes widened in realization, "But that can't be."

"Don't try changing the subject," said Itsuki, clearly not understanding the point, "what was Darius doing during that time?"

"Cleaning up the mess you left in Koteraan," explained Darius, "as I said you're half right, I did in fact impersonate you for a bit."

"So then you-," Itsuki started to say before he was cut off by the Armory Hero.

"But I didn't take your reward," said Darius, "I've been too busy toppling the corrupt governing body you left in power."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Itsuki with clear annoyance in his voice.

"I'm talking about the fact that you left the job before it was finished," said the cardinal hero, "you helped the country's resistance oust the previous king, likely without a clear understanding of the actual situation and then went on your merry way, not even bothering to see if you left someone honest in charge. Spoiler alert, the revolutionaries turned out to not only be just as bad as the previous ruler, they were worse. The pricks were hiring mercenaries to quell any dissent within the kingdom and forcing numerous people to flee the country as refugees on the verge of starvation. So my previous weapons master suggested the idea of taking up your mantle to spread fear, purge the mercenaries, and use your authority as a cardinal hero to install an actual honest governing body. Which reminds me, that lord the guild wants you to take out is probably one I already dealt with yesterday."

"So you admit to stealing my job requests," said Itsuki as he slammed his hand on the table.

"Have you not been listening," said Darius with annoyance as he stood up, "you left an entire country no better off than when you found it, all because you were clearly more concerned about playing the role of some masked vigilante. If you'd actually used your identity and authority as a cardinal hero you probably could've solved the problem without even ousting the previous king and actually saved a lot of lives. Instead you hid your identity, which is the only reason I was able to pull off my impersonation of you in the first place, all so you could play at being a hero while avoiding taking responsibility. If you're gonna beat the Empire, you gotta do more than just blow up the Death Star."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Questioned Itsuki angrily.

"He's saying this isn't a game," Naofumi cut in as he also stood up, "there are real consequences to your actions here. Because of you two numerous people died!" This finally seemed to make them think a bit as Ren glanced at the wounds Raphtalia had sustained from the zombie dragon.

"I see, I'm, sorry," said Ren as he hung his head a bit lower.

"Wait, you actually believe these two?" Said a surprised Itsuki.

"When you think about it, they have no reason to lie about this," said Ren.

"If you understand then try not to cause any more problems," said Naofumi as he and Darius brushed past the two other heroes. The rest of their parties were quick to follow them outside, all ignoring the fact that Itsuki said he still didn't believe them on the way out. The next stop after that was Erhard's shop, where he gifted Naofumi with his newly repaired armor as well as some studded shoulder plating for Darius.

"I embedded that dragon crystal into your armor," explained Erhard as the Shield Hero examined his equipment, "And I gave both sets of armor auto-repair functions. It's likely my best work to date."

"Yeah, but I gotta know, do you want me to look like the king of the bandits this badly," commented Naofumi.

"It's not that bad," said Darius, "I've always been partial to the furred armor look myself. Though the wandering rogue look I've got going on ain't too shabby either."

"I think you both look cool!" cheered Filo happily as Johann nodded, grudgingly, in agreement with her. Rifana and Rapthalia also gave their approval before Rino's party suddenly emerged from a side alley. What was surprising, however, was the presence of a certain green-haired girl with them.

"Rishia, what are you doing here," questioned Darius as he noted that she was dressed in the same armor she'd worn at the siege in Koteraan.

"It's the least I can do after everything you've done for our kingdom," said Rishia, "I talked to Rino and the others about why they were fighting the waves and I realized that they threaten Koteraan too. So I'm going to fight alongside you all to help put an end to the waves. Also, could you tell us where to meet up next time, it was kind of difficult finding your group." She rubbed her nose sheepishly as she said this last part.

"I was afraid we'd never find you," said the lead guard as he held up a bag of coins, "It took a bit, but thanks to the Armory Hero we can more than pay for that accessory now and we even managed to get some better equipment as well."

"Then the next thing to do is stock up on any other supplies you might need," said Naofumi as he placed the accessory in the guard's hand, "use the money you gathered for that."

"So then you're really accepting us?!" Said the lead guard happily as his group's Stats began showing up on Darius and Naofumi's HUDs.

"Don't go getting the wrong idea," said the Shield Hero as his tone turned serious, "the moment you attempt to exploit me, set me up or betray me in any way, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your lives."

"Don't worry about that," said Rino, "we've got your backs."

"Alright then," said Naofumi, "we've got a few hours left before the next wave, so let's go over our strategy and make sure we're fully prepared." Everyone nodded in agreement as the final preparations for the wave got under way.

A Few Hours Later: Erhard's Shop

Thanks to Erhard, Naofumi's connection with the town herbs shop, and Darius's inventory ability the group was able to stock up on a large amount of medicines, potions and even left over weapons to be used for backups. The Shield Hero also gifted Raphtalia with a bracelet he'd made himself with a spell to boost her mana generation, along with a jeweled hair clip for Filo to boost her stats. The Armory Hero was just as generous, gifting a yellow stone to Rifana to use in the necklace he'd purchased for her a while back as well as a head band for Johann which turned into a collar when he transformed. The only item of business to take care of then was registering Rino's party to teleport with them as the final minutes counted down to the arrival of the wave.

"I'll be waiting in my shop," said Erhard as the mystical yellow light surrounded them all once again, "try to come back alive okay."

"Will do," said Rifana with a thumbs up. 'Yep, time for the next round of monsters,' thought Darius as they were all teleported to a village full of square stone buildings. Just like before, the sky became a swirl of colors which resembled the motion of a rolling tide, signaling the arrival of the next wave.

"Let's take 'em down!" Ordered Naofumi as the party split up around the village. The difference in this wave in comparison to the last one became obvious immediately as instead of the undead attacking, it was hordes of goblins and lizard men.

"Show me what you got!" Ordered Darius as he unleashed a hail of spears at a line of charging goblins, mowing down several with brutal efficiency. The ones that got past the barrage were quickly bashed away by a combination of blows from Rifana's mace and the skillful blows of Rino's monk staff. Johann took flight and swept around the perimeter of the village, bombarding the monsters with varying fire and lightning attacks. Meanwhile, the guards patrolled the village, evacuating civilians and taking down the smaller monsters. On the occasions where they encountered a larger one, they'd pull back and give a signal to either Naofumi or Darius, who'd jump in and bring down the creatures with a combination of defensive and offensive tactics or abilities.

A surprising help came from an old woman who was capable of beating down the smaller monsters with her bare hands! As it turned out, it was the old woman Naofumi had given enhanced medicine too, though by the looks of it he might've accidentally added steroids. This pattern of monster killing and evacuation continued for some time until the group gathered together in the center of the village. "Sir Heroes," reported the lead guard, "it looks like the evacuation of the village is complete."

"That's good," said Naofumi, "Now just focus on keeping the monsters out of this area."

"We've been keeping the monsters out of this area for three hours," said Darius as he pulled a chained flail out of the skull of a goblin, "the last wave would've been over by now so what gives, are they playing cards with the boss or something?"

"Don't ask me," Said the Shield Hero, "but if they don't stop dicking around this village could be overrun."

"Then you and your parties should go Sir Heroes," said the lead guard, "No one will be safe until the wave ends."

"Are you sure," asked Naofumi, "It'll just be you guys fighting on your own if we leave."

"You just leave this place to us," said the old woman as she slapped the lead guard's back, nearly knocking him over in the process, "Me and these whippersnappers can handle anything that comes along."

"I guess the village is in good hands then," said Darius as he whistled for Johann.

"Just try not to push your luck too much Grandma," commented Naofumi. The heroes and their party members then proceeded to climb up on their mounts and head out of the village, looking for any signs of battle. They kept in contact using the crystal ball function as the Armory Hero scouted above the forest while the Shield Hero ran through it. After a few minutes of traveling, both groups entered a canyon-like area where a number of explosions were going off in the distance.

"You seeing what I'm seeing," said Darius to Naofumi on his HUD.

"Not clearly," replied the cardinal hero, "what are we up against this time around?"

"Captain Hook's flying ship," explained the Armory Hero, "after picking up some passengers from the bad section of Davy Jones's locker." To be more precise, it was a giant flying wreck of a pirate ship with several flying monsters around it and a freakin' KRAKEN in the bottom of it thrashing its tentacles around. As for the explosions, they were being caused by a bombardment of arrows and magic, the source of which was on the left side of the canyon.

"Itsuki," called Naofumi as they both landed by the Bow Hero and his party, "Where are the others?"

"On the ship if you must know," replied Itsuki, clearly not happy to see either of them as he fired another arrow at the flying monstrosity, "I told them it'd be best to target the figurehead on the ship to spawn the soul eater, but no, they don't feel like listening to reason."

"Hate to point this out now," said Darius, "But if you've been hitting that thing for this long with no results, it might be time to change tactics." With that said, he and Naofumi took off with Johann matching the ship's speed above it while Filo landed on the mast with a couple of great leaps. The two parties quickly took stock of the situation, spotting Motoyasu's party engaged with one of the main tentacles of the kraken while Ren's party was fighting a skeleton pirate captain or Skull Captain. The Sword Hero actually managed to cut down the undead pirate, causing it to collapse into a heap on the deck of the ship.

The victory was short-lived, however, as the Skull Captain respawned in a whirl of purple energy with his health fully restored. Both Ren and Motoyasu were forced backwards by their respective monsters and bumped into each other. Unbelievably, this resulted in not only them but the rest of their parties bickering. "Oh for fuck's sake we do not have time for this," exclaimed Darius as he summoned Raisetsu to his hand, "vine trap chain!" A number of white portals opened up underneath the kraken's main tendril as several vine-covered chains grasped it, inflicting blight damage on the limb.

Rifana and Darius both leapt down then, with the weasel girl smashing the head of the limb with her mace while Johann dropped down on it with a lightning powered stomp, destroying it. "This is no time to be bickering," said Naofumi as he dropped down next to block a strike from the Skull Captain with his shield, allowing Raphtalia and Filo to knock it away with a combination of kicks and slashes.

"Darius, Naofumi," said a slightly surprised Ren as he lowered his sword for a moment.

"Shouldn't you two be off defending some village," said Motoyasu with an annoyed tone as he rested his spear on his shoulder.

"I wholeheartedly agree," said Myne, "we don't need incompetent heroes like-."

"Blow it out your royal ass," said Rifana, "we've actually managed to accomplish something in the last three hours unlike the rest of you." Myne seemed taken aback by this statement as Naofumi stepped in.

"But as long as the wave's still going more monsters are going to come," said Naofumi, "you should all be working together to take these things down but instead." He had to block a strike from the Skull Captain before continuing. "Instead you're all doing whatever you want and bickering the whole way." Another tendril from the kraken shot up onto the deck then and headed straight for him, but was quickly intercepted by a horizontal strike from Darius's ax.

"Do we really need to remind all of you that if we lose, not only will you die but the rest of the villagers will as well," said the Armory Hero as he and the Shield Hero stood back to back saying the next line together, "THIS ISN'T A GAME!"

"You really think I haven't learned that by this point!" exclaimed Ren, "That's why I've been targeting the Skull Captain to spawn the Soul Eater."

"Yeah right," laughed Motoyasu, "you've killed it how many times now without a single thing spawning."

"It has to die multiple times to make it work," argued Ren with a clenched fist. Motoyasu simply scoffed and argued back that they should be focusing on the kraken as the two parties went to bickering again.

"Great, I guess that means we're on our own," said Darius as he and Naofumi scanned the deck of the ship, "we know three methods that won't work, so what else is there?"

"I'm not seeing any special parameters from the Skull Captain," replied the Shield Hero until something caught his eye, "Rapthalia, I need you to cast some light magic over the area."

"I can give it a try," said the raccoon girl with a slight bit of hesitation.

"Do it, as much light as you can manage," urged Naofumi. Raphtalia nodded her head and closed her eyes in concentration.

"As source of thy power I order thee," she said, "decipher the laws of nature and illuminate my surroundings, fast light!" A flare-like flash went up in the air then and exploded like a firework, causing the shadows of the monsters to bend and contort as a sinister face appeared on them.

"Quickly now, attack the shadows!" ordered the Shield Hero. Rifana and Raphtalia reacted quickly and slammed their weapons into the shadow of the Skull Captain while Darius fired a small number of spears and swords into the shadows of the kraken tendrils. The result was a number of purple, vapor-like forms rising out of the shadows.

"Incredible," said Ituski as he and his party managed to climb aboard the ship, "Soul Eaters are spawning over the entire ship." Unfortunately, it was worse than that as the numerous vapors formed together in midair. What emerged was a vicious looking giant fish monster with two arms ending in clawed hands, white scales, a type of purple flaming fin covering its entire head and back with two red eyes and rows of razor sharp teeth completing the nightmare which was now floating in front of them.

'Dimensional Soul Eater,' Darius read on his HUD as he glanced at the other three heroes and noticed actual fear etched into their features. Even Naofumi seemed hesitant to strike at the beast. It didn't last long, fortunately, as Ren raised his sword and fired off a skill known as thunderbolt slash. Itsuki and Motoyasu followed his example with the skills thunder arrow and lightning spear. All three attacks landed, but the damage was minimal as the beast roared in annoyance.

"Lightning's no good," said Naofumi as he turned to his mount, "Filo, hit it with wind magic!"

"Can do, fast tornado!" sang the Filolial as she fired a small vortex at the Soul Eater. This time the attack actually managed to chip off some of the boss's health, and anger it as a green and black ball of swirling energy formed in its mouth.

"We need to stop it before it fires that attack," said Ren as he rushed forward. Motoyasu was right behind him as the attack quickly intensified.

"Everyone, get behind Darius and me," ordered Naofumi upon realizing they wouldn't stop it in time. The Shield Hero held up his viper shield while Darius held up a replica to cast a protective barrier around their collective parties. No sooner had they done this than the Soul Eater fired, causing an explosion on the deck which not only knocked the other three heroes back, but also rendered several of their party members unconscious. 'That was too close,' thought the Armory Hero as he and Naofumi lowered their shields to see the other three cardinal heroes staggering to their feet.

But other problems were also arising as the Skull Captain was reforming and more of the kraken's tentacles were reaching onto the deck. As for the Soul Eater, it was readying another energy ball attack. "Not this time," said Darius as he summoned some clawed chains to force its mouth upwards, causing the attack to fire into the air.

"Filo, hit it now!" Ordered Naofumi as the Soul Eater shook free of the chains. The Filolial nodded before using her high quick attack to hit the monster in midair before zipping around and striking it again from another angle, establishing a hit and run pattern to stay one step ahead of it. Raphtalia was quick to join in as well.

"Johann, fly below and keep that kraken off of us," ordered Darius, "Rifana, you keep that skeleton at bay."

"On it," said the two of them at the same time as the dragon took flight and the weasel girl knocked the pirate captain back with a blow from a flaming mace.

"As for me, let's try this, lightning blizzard!" An electrified snowstorm formed around his weapon as he waited for Filo to move out of the way. The moment he had a shot, he swung and enveloped the boss in a contained thundering blizzard, causing the creature to shriek in pain. A chunk fell from its health bar, but there was still a problem. "I'm gonna need to recharge before I can use a full power attack again."

"So it's basically just your attacks and my party's attacks hitting it right now," said Naofumi as his two companions landed back on the deck to ready for another bout of hit and run strikes. "That'll take too long, we're gonna have to try something else."

"You're not really suggesting 'that' are you?" Questioned the Armory Hero.

"The curse series," said the Shield Hero as he turned to his companions, "I'm sorry Rapthalia, I'm going to use the rage shield." The raccoon girl looked unsure only for a moment before taking hold of his hand.

"It'll be alright," said Raphtalia, "I swore to follow you through fire and fury and to always be the sword by your side. I won't be going anywhere now." Naofumi's features softened for a moment as he nodded in appreciation before turning to Darius and Filo.

"If something happens, you know what to do Darius," he said, "and take care of Raphtalia too." The Armory Hero frowned but nodded in agreement as the Shield Hero stepped forward and called upon the rage shield. A red glow began to emanate from his defensive weapon while red veins stood out on his body. 'I wonder if this is what it felt like when I called upon the curse series,' thought Darius as he recalled a private conversation they'd had during the strategy meeting before the wave.

A Few Hours Ago

"So it's safe to say that your 'rage shield' is linked to the wrath portion of whatever these curse series abilities are, while I've got the Greed and Sloth portion," surmised Darius as the two stood at the back of Erhard's shop watching their companions discussing different strategies to use with their abilities.

"It might also explain how you had an easier time controlling yours," said Naofumi, "but the fact of the matter is, we just don't know enough about them yet to safely wield them."

"We might not have a choice given that each wave is more dangerous than the last," the college student pointed out, "It's highly likely that we'll need to pull out all the stops by the time this is over, including wielding this curse series."

"I never said we couldn't wield them in an emergency," said Naofumi, "but because there's so much risk involved, we need to be prepared to do what we have too if the curse series backfires on us."

"You're not seriously suggesting what I think you're suggesting," said Darius with a raised eyebrow.

"I am," said Naofumi, "In order to use them safely, only one of us should use the curse series at a time, and if the wielder goes out of control, it'll be the others responsibility to take them out."

End Flashback

'You really do think I'm that cold-hearted as to just end a friend's life like that,' mused Darius as he watched Naofumi's armor shift to a black dragon like appearance, even growing a dragon-like gauntlet and shoulder pad which went up his entire right arm. His shield had also turned jet black with a large red symbol on the front which was spewing a small but menacing flame from the now red jewel in the center. But the Shield Hero wasn't the only one affected as a roar came from both Filo and Johann, whose eyes were now glowing red as flames wrapped around their bodies, regular for Filo and blue for Johann. "You'd best get out of the way," called Darius to the other three heroes as they realized what was going on.

No sooner had they moved then Filo and Johann came flying in with a combined talon and tail attack which knocked the Soul Eater out of the sky and onto the deck of the ship. 'The fragments of the dragon emperor within them also make them susceptible to the effects of the rage shield,' the cardinal hero realized as he conjured more chains from the deck to hold the Dimensional monster down. The enraged Shield Hero took this opening to charge forward, ramming his cardinal weapon into the downed creature and engulfing its entire body in a miniature inferno. 'This heat is actually cooking my chains, I'm not sure how long I can keep this up.'

As he struggled, the other parties looked on at the spectacle, not sure what to do in that instant. "So he's basically like a wild beast now," commented Myne smugly, "it's certainly not the way a hero should be fighting."

"And just who are you to talk when you and everyone else is merely standing around!" exclaimed Raphtalia.

"What did you say, you should know your place you damn demi-," Malty started to say before Rifana stepped in yet again.

"Our place is by our friends," said Rifana, "we're not cheerleaders like you and your bimbo party members. When was the last time you did anything even remotely useful?! And that goes for the rest of you, are you all too scared to take action?!" No one had an answer for her as Raphtalia spoke again.

"Master Naofumi and Darius are both risking their lives to do the things that the rest of us aren't strong enough or brave enough to do," said Raphtalia, "Rifana and I have done everything we can to help them, but we're just not strong enough on our own. So we have to stand here and watch them go through all of this, but the three of you have been granted power, so why don't you use it? Can you really call yourselves the world's heroes if you aren't going to fight for it?!" This remark finally seemed to do something as Ren made the first move and slashed apart the Skull Captain which had resurrected behind Darius.

Itsuki jumped in next with a scattershot version of thunder arrow, destroying one of the kraken's tendrils which had gotten by Johann. Motoyasu was the last, and most begrudging, as he rushed forward and stabbed the Soul Eater itself. By this point, the monster had regained enough strength to throw off both Darius's chains and force Naofumi back. Filo resumed her enraged attack on the beast then, aided by the other three heroes now as each one employed a tactic of hitting it, then moving out of the way for the next attacker.

The damage they were dealing was steadily piling up and the distraction allowed Darius a moment to rest as he collapsed to one knee and looked at his ally, whose glowing red eyes seemed to be staring off into space as the flames intensified around his shield. 'You'd better not make me do it,' thought the Armory Hero as he gripped Raisetsu tighter, waiting for even the slightest movement of hostility from his friend. But the moment never came, instead, the flames around his shield suddenly extinguished as his eyes returned to normal. The Shield Hero had returned to his senses, and he was determined to end this battle now.

"Shield prison!" called Naofumi as he trapped the Soul Eater in the largest version of the move Darius had seen yet. The creature thrashed and struggled inside the confined space, but to no avail as the hero used his needle shield next, impaling the monster with spikes from the walls of the prison. "Now, even your screams shall be swallowed within the embrace of this virgin ore as you suffer in anguish while your body is stabbed and skewered. Behold THE IRON MAIDEN!"

An intense glow came from his shield then as a red portal thundered open in the sky, allowing a massive iron coffin with a doll-like head to descend. The doors were pulled open by chains to reveal a mass of spikes on the inside as the imprisoned boss was deposited in the center. With a clench of the Shield Hero's fist, the doors slammed shut on the Dimensional Soul Eater with a resounding clang. It was obvious then that the battle was over, even before the iron maiden dissolved and dropped the corpse of the skewered boss monster into the canyon below. "Finally put an end to that thing," said Naofumi weakly as his armor and shield returned to normal before he collapsed to one knee.

Filo and Johann weren't far behind as they both transformed and collapsed onto the deck. "Ow, what just happened?" Questioned the Filolial.

"I don't know," replied Johann, "But it was awesome. Can we do that again?" This comment was obviously ignored as Raphtalia rushed over to the Shield Hero.

"Are you alright Master Naofumi?" Questioned the concerned sword girl as the cardinal hero got to his feet.

"Sure am, don't I look okay to you?" He asked back as he held his arms up as if presenting himself for inspection. Raphtalia simply nodded, happy that her hero was safe.

"So that's the power contained within that shield," Itsuki thought out loud.

"Naofumi basically cheated then is what happened," said Ren. This didn't escape the attention of Johann and Filo as the two mounts stepped forward.

"Keep telling yourself that," said the dragon boy as he pointed at the group, "he earned the power of that shield, risking even his own sanity to protect everyone. You all could be a lot stronger too if you actually worked at it."

"Ya think so, huh," said Motoyasu, "well guess what, I could've easily one-shotted that monster if I'd actually gotten serious!"

"Then why didn't you just do that?" Questioned Filo with a smirk on her face, "You aren't a sore loser are you?" This clearly caught the Spear Hero off-guard as he began to babble incoherently about how it was a no brainer and how he'd definitely do better next time. Darius shook his head at the spectacle but he was relieved nonetheless that everything turned out alright. That is until the universe decided to screw with them a little more as an ominous feeling suddenly hit all of them.

"Are you guys feeling that too," Asked Naofumi as he readied his shield.

"Unfortunately yes," replied Darius as he opened a few portals and aimed for the center of the deck where purple energy had begun to swirl. The next thing they knew, a second Dimensional Soul Eater was emerging, just as nasty as the one before it. 'Another one!' was the collective thought on everyone's head as they took various fighting positions. But this monster was not to be their opponent.

In a flash, numerous daggers of yellow light rained down on the creature from above, tearing through its flesh like it was wet paper and nailing it to the deck. That single attack accomplished in just a few seconds what had taken them several minutes to accomplish on their own, a second dead Soul Eater. "What an extraordinarily disappointing performance," said a female voice as a woman with long black hair wearing a blue kimono dropped down from above. The force of her landing was powerful enough to scatter the remains of the second Soul Eater as she drew herself up to her full height. "To have such difficulty with a weakling monster like that makes me wonder if you really are the heroes meant to hold the fate of this world in their hands."

'She may have taken out that boss monster,' thought Darius as his grip tightened on his weapon, 'but something tells me she isn't a friend.' "Truthfully, only two of you are even worthy of the title 'hero,'" continued the strange woman as she walked forward before stopping a few feet from them. "What might your names be?"

"A first meeting usually means introducing yourself before the others," said Naofumi, trying to hide his nervousness like everyone else.

"Ah forgive me," said the woman, "it seems I've forgotten my manners. I am known as Glass, and the only other thing you need to know about me is that I am your enemy."

"Well that does put a damper on friendly conversation," said the Armory Hero, "but since you asked, I'm Darius and this is Naofumi."

"Naofumi and Darius," repeated the woman as she readied a pair of iron fans with purple jewels on the edges, "Interesting names. And you are correct, the time for pleasantries has ended, so let us begin," she opened her fans and took a fighting stance as she said this, "the time has come, to fight the only battle of this wave worthy of the title."

**Whew, and for the second week in a row I manage to surprise myself by yet again getting this chapter out on my original schedule. Hopefully this comes as a pleasant surprise for everyone else too, so feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes square off against the mysterious Glass and her powerful abilities. 'Til then.**


	16. The Wrath of the Iron Fans

**The Wrath of the Iron Fans**

**Alright, so some mixed reviews on last chapter, but that's okay. Now onto the reviews: To my faithful guest DCDGojira: Will Darius copy Glass's fans, you'll find the answer to that in this chapter, so just read on. Also, for those curious about the sudden update, you'll find the explanation at the author's notes at the end.**

The Third Wave: Aboard the Boss Ghost Ship

Today was one of those days where Darius tended to count the good news against the bad news. In this case, the good news was that the bosses, a pair of Dimensional Soul Eaters, had been defeated. The bad news, however, was that it took almost everything they had just to beat the first one, while the second one was defeated in a single attack by a raven-haired woman in a blue kimono. The reason this turn of events wasn't good news was that said iron-fan-wielding woman, who'd introduced herself as Glass, had declared herself an enemy.

Now here he stood with the other four heroes and their parties trying to figure out what they could do against someone who could down a boss in one blow. 'I can't get a good read on her Stats,' the Armory Hero noted as he saw mostly static on his HUD, save for her weapons. "Why are you hesitating to attack Sir Naofumi and Darius?" Questioned Glass, "Do you wish for your servants to strike first?"

"What did you say?!" Questioned Ren angrily as he and the other three heroes stepped forward.

"Are you actually insinuating that we're-," Itsuki started to say while Motoyasu stepped in and completed his sentence.

"Those guy's servants! FUCK YOU!" They all yelled before charging in with their weapons raised, building up energy for their strongest attacks. The hero's party members also moved in, quickly surrounding Glass to prevent her escape. But the woman didn't even budge as the cardinal heroes unleashed their skills. "Meteor Thrust! Meteor Slash! And Meteor Shot!" Darius and Naofumi had to shield their eyes from the light as all three attacks hit their target dead on.

But when they looked again, there stood Glass acting almost as if nothing had even happened. "Is that really the best you've got?" Questioned the raven-haired woman as she opened her fans and held them out on each side. "Zero-stance Rondo: Reverse Four Seasons." Yellow light enveloped her body as she swung her fans multiple times, creating gold blades of energy which knocked away not only the three heroes but their party members as well, flinging them all over the deck of the ship and rendering them more or less incapacitated. "Just as I said, merely servants."

"Yeah their names are Lee, Roy, and Jenkins," quipped Darius, mostly to hide his own fear as he and Naofumi quickly downed some mana potions, "And if they actually did work for us, I at least would've fired them a long time ago."

"Well either way," said Glass, "I do hope the two of you will provide a bit more entertainment."

"Entertaining's not really my strong suit," said Naofumi with a shrug before quickly raising his shield, "Shield prison!" The green orb of shields and chains quickly formed around Glass and was just as quickly destroyed with a swing of her fan. But this wasn't meant to hold her, only create an opening for Rifana, Raphtalia, Filo and Johann to strike. Their opponent was just as quick as she was strong, however, as she blocked and batted away Rifana and Raphtalia's strikes at the same time before swinging her right fan and knocking Filo off course of her attack.

Glass then used her left fan to fend off Johann's tail whip. "Venom chain!" called Darius as several portals opened around glass, allowing chains with scorpion tails to wrap around and pierce into the woman's body. Naofumi also produced the heads of three large cobras from his shield who bit into the fan wielder's head, shoulder and arm. "I hope you weren't expecting this to work terribly well," said Glass, very much unaffected by the mass of venom.

"Then lightning and Crimson chains!" called Darius as half of the bindings charged with electricity while the other half caught fire.

"Filo, Johann," ordered Naofumi. The two mounts added their own attacks as Johann shot a stream of blue flame while Filo fired one of her fast tornadoes.

"All of this heat and yet it's still too cold," chided Glass before she burst out of the maelstrom of attacks with a massive wind, breaking not only the chains but canceling out all of the attacks as well. Raphtalia and Rifana moved in from behind her then, but Glass simply blocked the strikes by holding her fans behind her. With a simple swift movement of each arm she broke their weapons in half forcing them to retreat as they stared at the state of their fighting implements in shock.

"Lightning charge, High quick!" Johann and Filo yelled as they rushed in with their respective attacks. Just as before, however, Glass quickly blocked all of Filo's kicks with one fan before holding out her other fan to cancel out Johann's charge.

"I do believe it's my turn now," said Glass as she jabbed both mounts with her weapons. The blows hardly seemed to hit them, yet the force was enough to send both of them flying to the back of the ship. "Now, Zero Stance Rondo: Reverse Four Seasons."

"Everyone behind us now!" Ordered Naofumi as he and Darius quickly encased everyone in an extra-large shield prison. As Glass's yellow energy slashes impacted against the shell the Armory Hero's replica broke, causing his own layer of shields to fall. The Shield Hero's was next, coming apart just as the barrage ended. Despite surviving the attack it clearly had an effect as most of their party members collapsed to the ground.

"I'm impressed to see some of you still on your feet after that barrage," noted Glass. "But I must ask, do you intend to use that flaming shield of yours or not?" She was clearly talking to Naofumi on this one. The Shield Hero looked unsure for a moment, but the decision was made for him as Darius put a hand on his weapon and stepped forward.

"You've already risked enough using it once," said The Armory Hero as he stood in front of his friend.

"Darius, I've got more control of it now," said Naofumi, "I should be able to-."

"Need I remind you that I've got a curse series too," said Darius as he sent his ax back to his inventory and crossed his arms in front of him, "besides, she's already seen the rage shield, so it's best we strike with something she's not expecting. Try to remember we're both heroes here." Naofumi clearly wasn't happy with this idea, but a hand on his shoulder from Rifana got him to back off.

"And what manner of weapon do you wield?" Questioned Glass, "I saw the ax yet you wield chains as well."

"I suppose I should give you my full title," he replied, "I'm Darius Saxon the Armory Hero: he who wields many weapons including these, the bands of Greed and Sloth!" As he said this, lightning suddenly erupted from his wrists as the jewels turned black and the bands themselves changed shape into gauntleted gloves, with his left turning dark green and forming the symbol of a turtle while his right turned gold and formed the symbol of a crow. At the same time, his mask also activated and covered his entire face and much of his head like a helmet, sprouting a small pair of antler-like horns to complete the change.

"A fascinating transformation," said Glass, "But what does it have to offer?"

"The power to take what I want," answered Darius, his voice now distorted from the mask, "And what I want right now, is your LIFE!" Several portals opened above and around Glass then, all sporting gold weapons. The cardinal hero raised his right hand as he called out the name of his new attack. "Greed Series: Reign of Gold." He snapped his fingers then, causing all of the assembled weapons to fire and impact on the area where Glass was standing, kicking up a mass of debris with the numerous blasts.

"Now this is more like it," said the raven-haired woman as she blew away the cloud of dust with a wave of her fan, "have you anything mor-?" She didn't quite finish her sentence as seven Armory Heroes were suddenly attacking her from all sides, each wielding a different weapon.

"Sloth Series Multi-Skill: Dance of the Phantom Monk, along with High Quick!" declared Darius as he shot forward like a bullet, swinging a pair of gold sabers with black blades. The other illusions followed suit, either attacking or bouncing around the ship like pinballs at high speed, forcing their enemy to use both fans to block from numerous directions. 'I'm actually doing it,' thought the Armory Hero for a moment as he rushed in and out then back again, slashing ferociously at his opponent, 'I might actually be approaching Fitoria's speed.'

His excitement wasn't deterred even when Glass's fans actually managed to break his swords as he simply switched to a spear, then a war hammer, a rapier, twin axes, a chained flail, then finally a pair of daggers. "Excellent technique," said the fan wielder as she continued to block his attacks from every angle, "but you still lack force!" She emphasized her point by swinging her fans in the direction he was coming from next, creating an air blast which destroyed his illusions and slowed him down significantly while also causing him to lose his daggers. "Now try to stop this," Glass closed and raised her left fan before bringing it down towards Darius's head.

Time seemed to slow as the weapon approached its target until, amazingly, it was stopped by a pair of identical iron fans. "Whew, took longer than usual, but now I've got my own." He said as he forced her fan back up before swiping at his opponent a few times with the same strikes she'd used earlier. Glass clearly had no knowledge of his Replica ability as the woman actually jumped back to avoid one of his swings, landing a short distance away. "Go ahead, I know you want to say it."

"Say what exactly?" Questioned Glass as she recomposed herself.

"Simple, your next line is: where did you learn that style?" Remarked Darius as he fanned himself with one of the replica weapons while still holding a fighting stance.

"Very well," said Glass with a sigh, "where did you learn that style?"

"By watching you of course," replied the Armory Hero as he took the zero stance next, "same place I learned this: Reverse Four Seasons!" His version of the attack used white energy blades which Glass fended off with her fans as he continued to strike, increasing in speed and ferocity until he was raining down attacks like a madman, and he sounded like it too. "WRYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"I will not allow this mockery!" declared Glass as she swung her fans and created a much larger energy slash which canceled out the remaining slashes coming at her. She then closed her fans and produced a purple blade from her left fan and pointed it at the Armory Hero. Darius followed suit, using a white energy version as both lined up their attacks with one arm while using the other arm to hold one fan over the other. "Rupture-Stance Rondo: Tortoise Shell Cracker!"

The two attacks launched forwards like ballistae, slamming into each other halfway to their targets. Despite the near perfect imitation, however, Darius's wasn't as powerful as the original and only succeeded in slowing the attack down. He managed to raise his replica fans at the last moment to block the purple blade, but the impact went through the fans, destroying them and the glove sections of his gauntlets. "Now then, stop holding back and show me the ace up your sleeve, I know you must have at least one left."

"Well since you're insisting," said Darius as he resummoned Raisetsu, which now had added gold features, "Come forth, Greed Series: Gold Cauldron!" Much like Naofumi's iron maiden, a storm-like portal opened above Glass, allowing a massive cauldron through which tipped forward and poured liquid gold onto his target. The heat was intense enough that sections of the ship caught fire. "Now be eternally slothful as a statue of gold!" He unleashed Raisetsu's lightning blizzard then, it's power augmented by the Sloth series, and cooled the gold while also conducting a mass of lightning into his target.

The Armory Hero then collapsed to one knee as his bands returned to normal and his mask retreated. "Did you get her?" Questioned Naofumi as he stepped forward a bit to inspect the scene.

"It's far less potent than I expected for such a flashy attack," said a voice from within the gold. In the next instant, red energy erupted from the statue as it exploded, revealing a relatively unharmed Glass who strode forward, still wearing her same confident smile.

"She's still standing after all that," said the Shield Hero, voicing the thought on everyone's mind. 'This is bad,' thought Darius as he struggled to his feet, 'that was my best combo attack right there and she just shrugged it off. Is there really no way to fight her?' His attention was drawn to a corner in his HUD then as he noticed a timer was counting down, and it was nearly out.

The next surprise came when the boat suddenly shifted and began losing altitude. "Blast, I didn't expect the time to run out so quickly," commented Glass as she moved to regain her balance.

"Darius," said Naofumi as an idea began to form in his head, "we're gonna use the secret technique of the cardinal hero."

"I suppose we got no other options," replied Darius as the Shield Hero signaled his intentions to Raphtalia.

"I'm afraid none of your plans shall succeed," said Glass as she resumed her fighting stance, "this battle shall end in victory for us, no other outcome is acceptable. Please know that I have nothing against you personally, but this is simply the way it is."

"Now Raphtalia!" ordered Naofumi. The raccoon girl quickly cast fast light, temporarily blinding their enemy as the Shield Hero turned and cast fast heal on Filo and Johann. The two mounts woke up just in time for their respective party members to clamber onto them.

"NIGERUNDAYO!" yelled Darius, hardly believing his life was being saved by a Jojo reference, but it was all the signal the mounts needed to take off from either side of the ship. Glass was clearly not expecting this tactic and was too slow to follow after them as they quickly put distance between them and the ship. 'At least she can't fly after us,' thought the Armory Hero before kicking himself for jinxing it. She might not be able to fly, but she did have ranged attacks.

"Incoming!" yelled Rifana as a number of purple blades flew at them while another group flew towards Naofumi's. Johann quickly climbed higher into the air while also rolling and jerking from side to side, narrowly avoiding the barrage. Darius then switched positions with his partner, forming a replica legendary spear as one final energy blade flew towards him.

"Meteor Thrust!" yelled the Armory Hero as he threw the weapon at the oncoming projectile. The two collided in the air, with the replica spear breaking and disappearing in the process of diverting the energy blade which fell down and destroyed part of the canyon below. Naofumi seemed to have similar luck escaping as Darius looked and managed to find their indicators on his HUD. Now that he had a moment to spare, he noted that the timer had run out. And just as it did the sky returned to normal. The wave was apparently over.

"The monster portals are gone," noted Rifana as Johann turned around and slowly circled back towards the ghost ship. What ever had been keeping it afloat ended once the timer ran out, causing it to crash land on the right side of the canyon.

"Hey Boss," said the sky dragon, "I think that fan lady hightailed it."

"But why would she do that?" Questioned Rifana, "does it have something to do with the wave suddenly ending?"

"More than likely," said Darius, "she was about to get serious when that timer appeared on me and Naofumi's HUDs. It's possible she's only able to fight us while a wave is in full swing, meaning once the timer runs out, so does her own time."

"But why did she want to fight us in the first place," questioned the weasel girl, "I thought the waves of catastrophe only brought monsters, but she looked and smelled human to me, not to mention the way she took out the boss like it was her enemy too."

"Who knows," said the Armory Hero, "but we're gonna need to get stronger by leaps and bounds before we face her again, and I've got a feeling she'll be showing up with the next wave." Rifana and Johann silently agreed as they flew back to check on the other three heroes and their parties. Naofumi arrived shortly after with some help from the village as well as the good news that Rino, Rishia and the rest of her group had all survived with only some minor injuries to report.

The two cardinal heroes also managed to locate and absorb some material from the body of the first downed soul eater before heading back to the village with everyone else. Though it quickly became apparent that Darius was a lot slower than usual. This made him unable to help out much as he was forced to sit down and chug mana and health potions that Naofumi was enhancing while the rest of their parties went about helping the village get back in order. "I guess having the curse series doesn't completely nullify the strain on your body from using a move beyond your level," noted the Shield Hero as he handed his comrade a second enhanced health potion.

"It's one of the weaknesses of the Imitator ability," explained Darius, "I can almost perfectly replicate a weapon or combat maneuver move for move, but if it requires speed or strength beyond my limit then it strains my body. Add on to that the aftereffect of the Sloth series, which seems to halve the recharge rate on all my ability, health and mana gauges and you've got one slow moving Armory Hero."

"I guess we should count ourselves lucky we haven't had to use them much up to this point," said Naofumi as he tossed him a mana potion next, "the rage shield is tough to control which may be its drawback. What about your Greed series?"

"It seems to cause decay to items of value," replied Darius as he held up Raisetsu, "I noticed a bit of decay in the blade when I looked at the stats again. Luckily the evil alchemist who created this thing also gave it an auto repair function, so for now all it needs is time to fix itself and I'll be able to wield it again. But, it's highly likely that if we overuse the curse series then even worse drawbacks will occur."

"Well that doesn't change much at the moment," said Naofumi, "we already agreed to only use them as last resorts, but we won't be able to get much stronger right now without getting class upgrades."

"I take it you've got something worked out for that," said Darius as he handed the vial he was drinking from back to Naofumi.

"Each country has a dragon hourglass," said the Shield Hero, "since his royal hind end has banned us from using the one in the church in Melromarc our next best bet is to head out to another country."

"Any places worthy of no-oh gosh it's this guy," said Darius as the lead guard from Rino's party came walking up with the pain in the neck mustached captain of the King's guard.

"I apologize for interrupting sir heroes," said the young guard, "but you see-." The captain stepped forward then.

"You have both been summoned by his royal highness," said the Captain, "immediately."

"Huuuuuh," groaned both cardinal heroes with an 'are you serious' look on their faces.

Castle of the Queen and King of Melromarc: Throne Room

There were a list of places both Darius and Naofumi did not want to be at any given time, and inside the royal castle in the presence of King Aultcray was right there at the top. Currently, there was a crystal ball playing a recording of the battle of the last wave, specifically the instances of both heroes using their respective curse series abilities. As soon as it ended, the king cleared his throat and was the first to speak. "After watching these events transpire, even I must say it is impressive how you both quelled the most recent wave, loathe as I am to admit it."

"Just doing our jobs," said Darius, "whether you like it or not by the looks of it."

"Just do us both a favor and cut to the chase," said Naofumi, "why'd you call us here?"

"I require you two to answer a question for me," replied the King, "how exactly did you both come to possess so much strength? Such powers as those are unbecoming of a cardinal hero, so I'm giving you both a chance to fulfill your duty as heroes by revealing the secret to me. And it goes without saying, but do not even think of lying."

"Just possessing power isn't a crime," said Darius, "and the only thing unbecoming here is a king throwing around authority which doesn't even belong to him."

"What did you say?" Said Aultcray with a hint of anger and slight bewilderment on his face.

"You heard me," said the Armory Hero, "you're only in charge right now because the Queen's away. And she left you with one job and one order, look after the kingdom and don't give the Shield Hero a hard time. For whatever reason, you took that to mean let the three heroes church attempt to summon only three out of the four heroes and when that failed, summon all four heroes and proceed to harass Naofumi, the Shield Hero, despite him being guilty of nothing."

"Are you accusing me of abusing my authority?!" Sneered the King angrily, "everything I have done up to this point has been to insure the safety of Melromarc, and I will not have some lowly pretender question me!"

"But the queen is the one questioning," said Darius as he held up the letter he'd received from the Queen's shadow a few days ago. Funnily enough, Rifana had discovered he'd dropped it after their 'little adventure' in Koteraan's castle. He'd read it to Naofumi on the way to the castle and it had revealed some interesting details. "Because according to this letter from her highness, the four heroes were all supposed to be summoned in four separate countries to insure they all had some sort of defense against the waves. Which means you've overstepped your authority at least twice by using the summoning ritual and more than likely aren't meant to be in charge of either of us, so that means we don't need to say a single word in answer to you."

"But there is something you can do if you really want us to answer," Said Naofumi as he pointed at the floor in front of him, "step forward and kneel." A number of the gathered guards actually gasped at such an audacious request, demanding a king kneel before them. But the Shield Hero wasn't done. "You see in my world, when someone needs something badly they grovel before the one who has it and say 'please enlighten my ignorant self, kind sir.'"

"INSOLENT CURS!" raged the King as his anger finally came to a boil. His reaction also spurred the other guards into action as they all drew their swords and surrounded the two heroes.

"I wouldn't advise that," said Darius as he conjured a replica of Ren's transformed curved blade sword and rested it on his shoulder.

"You think you can threaten us now," Said Naofumi, "but the truth is the two of us could kill you and every guard in this castle before strolling on out the door on our merry way."

"Don't think I'll fall for such a childish bluff!" The King shot back. Naofumi reacted by simply summoning his viper shield while Darius's replica sword began to crackle with electricity.

"If anyone here really wants to test that theory then bring it on," said Darius as he moved his replica weapon to a half ready position, "just remember that one of us took out the wave's boss while the other held their own against an opponent even stronger than that." This seemed to give the guards pause as a number of them even began to tremble at the implication of facing two people that strong.

"Looks like there are no takers this time," said Naofumi before his eyes turned back to the king, "even despite the Shit you've put us through, we're still willing to cooperate until the waves are done. After that, we're bailing out of both this land and this world."

"Y-you would both disrespect the King of Melromarc this way," said Aultcray as the two heroes turned and started walking out.

"A king who's doing such a bad job that his wife sent over their youngest daughter to scold him isn't worthy of much respect," Darius called back with a wave.

"Don't think you can squeeze out of this so easily," said the King, "If I can't punish you two, then those slaves of yours shall be punished instead-CRASH!" The monarch was silenced as the Armory Hero whirled around, changing his weapon into a replica airstrike javelin and throwing it all in the same movement. The spear impacted to the top right of the King's head, utterly destroying that part of his thrown while the blast itself knocked the crown from his head. For a brief instant, Aultcray wasn't sure if he was alive or dead until he heard his heart beating at an incredible pace.

"I ended the month by ousting a king, maybe I should start this one the same way!" Darius nearly shouted as he unconsciously summoned his mask to his face, creating a fearsome visage. Naofumi was shooting an equally venomous glare in the monarch's direction, causing the blood in his veins to run as cold as ice. "If you so much as utter an idiotic threat like that again, Naofumi and I will not only end you but we'll hunt down and eviscerate that red-headed bitch you call a daughter!"

The Armory Hero turned and exited the room then while the Shield Hero stayed behind to leave one last word for Aultcray. "We can take everything from you now, but you will never take anything from us ever again." He exited the room with the King cursing the both of them.

"Well I think that went quite well actually," quipped Darius as the two of them walked down the stairs. Naofumi didn't answer, though, as he seemed to be lost in thought. In fact he was so lost in thought that he almost didn't notice a brown-haired girl in a pink dress walking up the stairs.

"You two did exceptionally well this time around," said the woman suddenly as she passed them and stopped on the staircase, "I daresay a little too well. In fact it's likely your accomplishments have garnered the attention of certain powers who can no longer ignore how powerful you've both become or the interference you've been causing."

"You mean like the Three Heroes Church," Darius said, having a slight idea what this might be about.

"Very astute," said the woman as she held up one of the religious order's pendants, "You likely know better than most, Sir Armory Hero, that while they appear virtuous on the surface they are cunning and conniving underneath. I daresay it would be wise to exercise a great bit of caution moving forward." Before either of them could question her further, the woman continued up the stairs and out of sight.

"Who was that?" Questioned a confused Shield Hero.

"Likely one of those 'shadows' who've been following us around the whole time," said Darius, "And she's right. It was a member of the Three Heroes Church who released that Leshen in Koteraan, and since that didn't work they're likely to try something else very soon now that we're waiting for the next wave."

"Wonderful, yet another problem to deal with," said Naofumi as the two resumed descending the stairs, "all the more reason for us to get out of here as fast as we can."

Erhard's Shop: A Short Time Later

"You two are unbelievable you know that," laughed the Shop Owner, "I'm probably talking to the only two people in the entire kingdom who can threaten his majesty twice and live to tell about it."

"Just to make sure the facts are straight, the king was the one picking a fight with us," said Naofumi.

"I just hope those thrones aren't too expensive to replace," said Darius, "It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to blast off a chunk of it." Whether or not this was funny, the Armory Hero didn't know but Rifana and Raphtalia both got a laugh out of it.

"Well fortunately for you both I've got all you need right here," said Erhard, "except for those class upgrades. Based on what you've told me, it's pretty unlikely they'll let you use one here."

"We were thinking of heading over to either Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden actually," said Darius.

"What about Koteraan?" Questioned Raphtalia, "Wouldn't they have a dragon's hourglass as well?"

"Oh, uh, as much reorganizing as the country's going through right now it's likely that no one even knows where it is right now," said Rifana surprisingly quickly, "besides we spent so much time there it'd be nice to visit some place new."

"Well if you're looking for recommendations, I'd go for Shieldfreeden," said Erhard as he unrolled a map on the counter.

"If what I heard from the slave merchant is true, that's a country of demi-humans," said Naofumi, "but it's surprisingly welcoming to humans as well."

"Certainly more welcoming than Siltvelt," affirmed Erhard, "some of them get pretty extreme about demi-human superiority over there."

"So does all of this mean we're going on another trip?" Questioned Filo to which Naofumi nodded in affirmation. "Yay! We're going on another trip!"

"Ordinarily it would take close to a month to get there," said Erhard, having to talk over Filo as she hopped up and down cheering, "but with her you'll probably make it there sooner than that."

"Heh, if it was just me I'd get us there in about a week's time," commented Johann with his arms crossed.

"Yeah but you can't pull a wagon," laughed Filo with her hands on her hips.

"I don't want to hear that coming from a flightless bird," Johann shot back as he and Filo both glared at each other.

"I can jump more than high enough to make up for that, can you jump around?" Asked the Filolial as the two began bickering once again.

"I'll get some essentials ready for your trip," said the Shop Owner, having to speak even louder over the arguing mounts.

"Oh, could you throw in a couple of new weapons for Raphtalia and Rifana," said Naofumi, despite his companion protesting that they both had spare weapons and that they should be saving money. In the end, fortunately, Erhard was able to make a deal that worked out for all of them.

On the Road to Shieldfreeden

Given the amount of time the journey was gonna take, the group had pretty much needed to leave immediately. "It's been awhile since we've all been able to travel together like this," said Rifana happily as they soared above Filo's wagon.

"I'm just glad Erhard's an organized guy," said Darius, "we'd probably just now be exiting the city if we'd had to pack everything ourselves. By the way, what do you think of the new weapons?"

"Well the mace is about the same as ever," replied Rifana, "though the balance is a little better and I can tell the magic iron is a bit tougher than the last one. As for the mana warhammer, well, it just feels a little weird carrying a handle around on my waist." The reason behind this, according to a little letter Erhard had left in one of their sacks, was because it used mana to create the weapon itself to battle foes with no physical body. Raphtalia had also gotten a mana sword which was also just a sword handle until mana was put through it.

Filo had also gotten a pair of white and blue gloves which would grant her the strength of a hundred men while also augmenting Johann's gauntlets and greaves to have a similar effect. As for Naofumi, he got a shield accessory which would allow him to scan other shields to see what they were made of, among other uses, while Darius was gifted a new jewel for his belt which not only stored extra mana but increased the auto repair ability in his other armors and weapons. All in all, they were at least prepared for a little more trouble than before. Though there was still the problem of the awkward air between Darius and Rifana, which the others were starting to pick up on. It was easy enough to deny at first but the longer they traveled the more obvious it became.

By the time of their second or third stop on the road to rest, Raphtalia and Naofumi had figured out something was going on which made for an uncomfortable silence around the cooking fire. Filo and Johann were fortunately oblivious to it as the dragon boy reveled in the fact that he didn't have to wait on his hot beverage to cool before drinking it, while Filo had to blow on hers to keep it from burning her tongue. "You know, of the few things I've found to enjoy in this world traveling would have to be at the top of my list," said Naofumi, surprising everyone by being the first to speak, "we don't have to deal with royalty or the other heroes. It honestly feels like we're free in a way, not tied down by anyone."

"Speaking of traveling," said Raphtalia as she sipped at her own drink, "what was Kot-?"

"FOUND YOU AT LAST!" yelled a familiar voice as everyone turned to see a carriage approaching, surrounded by half a dozen guards on horseback. Everyone's suspicions about the occupant of said carriage were confirmed when a smiling Melty poked her head out of the side to wave at them.

"It's Melty!" cheered Filo as she and Johann jumped up and down while waving, "over here Mel!"

"Filo," chided Naofumi before being stopped by Darius putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's at least see what she wants first," said the Armory Hero as he stood up, "besides, I've been meaning to ask her about something." The Shield Hero clearly wanted to say no, but a bit of begging from Filo and a pleading gaze from Raphtalia finally made him give in as he also stood up. Though he still had an annoyed look on his face.

"Sir Shield and Armory Hero," said Melty as she exited the wagon and approached them, "I have a request for the both of you."

"Answer one question for me first, and we'll hear you out," said Darius, "did the relief supplies I ask for ever make it to Koteraan?"

"Indeed they did Sir Hero," replied Melty as she indicated herself, "I saw to the delivery personally. From what I understand a cardinal hero overthrew the Revolutionary leader who ousted the last king. The country is currently in the process of selecting its new ruler and distributing funds for rebuilding. As for the people, well, according to a rather insightful woman they are happier now than they were when she first entered the country."

"Wonderful news," said Darius, "and thank you for your help in the relief efforts."

"You are most welcome Sir Armory Hero," said Melty with a curtsy, "though the woman also had a message for you: 'I look forward to our next semi-private lesson.' Do you know what that means?"

"Oh, no big deal," said Darius as he rubbed the back of his head while laughing nervously, "she was my weapon instructor is all so we did a lot of lessons together and whatnot."

"I'm more curious as to when you arranged to have relief supplies sent from Melromarc," said Naofumi, "was that about the same time that you accepted the letter from the shadow?"

"Pretty much," said Darius, "and I also promised to hear her out in exchange for her help, and that I'd convince you to listen too."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Questioned Naofumi with more than a little annoyance, "You can't just go behind my back like-."

"I'm not asking you to go along with her request or even to agree with it," said Darius as he held his hands up defensively, "just listen for a few minutes to what she has to say is all I ask. Who knows, it might be a rather simple request and-."

"I'd like you both to return to the royal capital to speak with King Aultcray again," said Melty.

"Fuck that," both heroes said at the same time, causing the crown princess to step back in confusion.

"Sorry, reflex," said Darius, "pray tell why do you want us to speak to the king?"

"I would like you both to apologize for your previous conduct and reconcile with his majes-," Melty started to say before being cut off.

"He can eat a dick," both heroes said again with their arms crossed and their heads turned to the side. Melty was even more flustered by this reaction but somehow managed to keep her cool as she continued.

"Please, we need your help against the waves," said Melty, "and besides, you'd all be lost without the King's financial support." Darius actually burst out laughing at this statement.

"What financial support," asked Naofumi with a mocking smirk on his face?

"No wait, I think I know," said the Armory Hero as he made a show of rummaging through one of his belt pouches before bringing his hand up flipping the bird. "Oh here it is, the middle finger he's been giving you and the rest of us since this whole mess started!"

"There you have it," said the Shield Hero, "If anyone's being generous it's us. We're the ones graciously giving our help to you guys, at least until the waves are over and done with." The young princess looked beyond aggravated now as she clenched her fists in frustration.

"Master Naofumi, Darius," scolded Raphtalia, clearly displeased with their dismissive behavior.

"Look Naofumi's doing this because she's royalty," said Darius, "I just can't agree with such an unreasonable request when I already know how it's gonna go."

"AND THAT'S WHAT'S SO RIDICULOUS ABOUT IT!" yelled Melty as she began flailing her arms like a regular girl throwing a tantrum. "I don't understand why you two and my father insist on acting this way! A king can't be at odds with the heroes, they just can't! Filo, you and Raphtalia agree this is ridiculous don't you, and what about you Rifana, Johann?"

"Well I'm actually Naofumi's sword, so I can't really-," the raccoon girl said sheepishly.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this," said Rifana with her arms crossed.

"There you see, even they agree with me," said Melty.

"I'm pretty sure none of them agreed with you at all," commented Naofumi.

"Just please apologize to father, this one time, or mother will yell at him when she returns!" exclaimed Melty. 'Okay, I can see more of the family resemblance now,' thought Darius with a sigh as both he and Naofumi were tuning the angry princess out at this point, 'she obviously got her dad's temper. And I wonder if she realizes she's giving us more incentive not to apologize by telling us how her mother will yell at him when she gets back.' The Armory Hero had to keep from smirking at that thought until he noticed something a bit off when he looked at the guards gathered around the carriage.

For some reason, none of them had stepped forward to stay by Melty like a guard would normally do, which wasn't so strange if she'd ordered them to stay back. But why did the guard standing in the center have a crystal ball out? As entertaining as this little show was there was no real reason to recor-shit! Realization hit both heroes at about the same time as one of the guards drew their sword while running forward and swung at their target, Melty Melromarc.

**And thus the plot thickens as one of the powers behind the scenes makes their move. Hello everyone, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. For those wondering about the sudden update, I nearly forgot to give a shout out to the reader who suggested the idea for the 'Reign of Gold' attack, which I also used in a previous chapter in Darius's dream sequence, so thanks again for the input. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes find themselves on the run from both the royal guard and the other three heroes. 'Til then.**


	17. Fugitive Heroes

**Fugitive Heroes**

**And welcome to another chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero! Now to answer this week's guest questions: 'Jason Wu' I believe it says. It's not so much a question but a little heads up that Darius and Rifana will be forced to tackle this situation a little differently than normal. You'll see pretty much within the first page of this chapter. Now, onto the story!**

On the Road to Shieldfreeden

Time seemed to move slowly in that moment as both cardinal heroes reacted at about the same time. Naofumi quickly grabbed Melty, who'd been unaware of the danger due to her little tantrum, and pulled her to safety behind his shield as the guard's blade collided with it. At about the same time, Darius had summoned a pair of scaly looking boots and gauntlets, which he used to rush forward with a nasty right cross to the disloyal soldier's face. "The Shield has taken the princess hostage!" yelled one of the other guards from the back as everyone drew their swords.

"It's a setup, knock out only and take out that crystal ball!" Ordered Darius as he and the others rushed forward to meet their now revealed enemies. Rifana and Raphtalia stood back to back, parrying and countering blows from the guards before knocking them away. Filo and Johann both leapt into the air and transformed, dropping their now much heavier bodies on those not fast enough to get out of the way. As for the cardinal heroes, Naofumi deflected the blows of the few guards who managed to make it to him while Darius knocked them away with powerful punches, kicks and even once throwing an unfortunate guard into another one of his allies.

Despite them aiming for nonlethal blows, the soldiers all staggered around or fell on the ground as if someone had impaled them. The Armory Hero knew what was happening and the moment he saw an opening he rushed towards the commander of the guards and the one holding the crystal ball. "Full retreat men, no-CRASH!" His order was interrupted as Darius conjured a white bow and arrows and fired one, shattering the crystal ball held by the captain's subordinate.

"None of you are going anywhere, Johann the carriage!" Called the cardinal hero as his mount fired a small ball of flame at the wagon Melty had been riding in. The transport caught fire almost instantly, causing the terrified steads pulling it to scatter in all directions as the guards made a fruitless attempt to chase after them. "Now, Mass Chain Binding!" The skill activated a white portal on the ground, allowing a large collection of chains with both the clawed hand and pointed ends to emerge and lash out in all directions.

The guards fear now turned very real as each of them was seized and reeled in by the chains, and those lucky enough to avoid the chains were quickly captured by a flying Johann and a fast moving Filo who deposited them all near the portal. "Yank one of them out of there," ordered Naofumi as he held up his own weapon, "I'll handle the rest, Shield Prison!" Raphtalia managed to seize and bind one of the guards right as the rest were crammed into the large green sphere.

"That cannot be comfortable in there," commented Rifana as she playfully kicked the sphere to the side of the road, causing several yelps from the imprisoned guards.

"Are you alright Melty," asked Raphtalia after handing off the guard to Darius who checked his restraints to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. The princess had collapsed to her knees, clearly shaken by the sudden attack, but eventually nodded in affirmation that she wasn't hurt.

"Alright then," said Naofumi as he turned to the bound guard, "What exactly were you guys trying to do here with all that bad acting and why did you attack the second princess?" The soldier acted as if he didn't hear him, so the Shield Hero yanked the prisoner off the ground and forced the man to look him in the eye. "Answer me!"

"I have nothing to say to the devil of the shield, so you might as well kill me now!" spat the guard.

"Then maybe you'll answer me," said Darius as he stepped up next to Naofumi and held up the rosary of the Three Heroes Church. "I found this little trinket in your pocket while I was checking your bindings, which already tells us plenty."

"You know nothing Right Hand of the Shield," muttered the guard mockingly, "Your fates are already sealed."

"Oh no," said Darius with a raised eyebrow, "What about the fact that we can already narrow down the ones responsible for this to three people: the King, his cunt daughter, and the Pope. They're the only ones with the authority or influence necessary to stage something like this, or at the very least the only ones who hate us enough to try. As for your little plan, well, you already gave away the fact that the recording from the crystal ball managed to make it back to where it needed to go with that line about our fates being sealed. If I had to guess, you're probably gonna mess with the sound and images a bit using magic to make it look like we kidnapped Melty, hence all the exaggerated movements and yelling like you were all dying. How am I doing so far?"

The guard didn't respond but he also refused to meet the Armory Hero's eye, which told him he got at least some of it right. "Figures it would be something like that," said the Shield Hero as he dropped the guard to the ground.

"I guess it won't cut it to just walk right up to the castle and have Melty explain everything," said Rifana with a sigh.

"Why not just have me fly her back and drop her off," suggested Johann, "I've been meaning to show her what real travel is like."

"It'd still be the same problem," said Naofumi with his arms crossed, "The trash king will probably just make up some excuse about you bringing her in as a hostage and try to kill you. Then we'd be in the same mess but down a mount." Johann deflated a bit upon hearing this, but Raphtalia put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, telling him it was at least a fair suggestion.

"So our best bet for now is probably to keep on trekking 'til we get out of the country," said Darius, "Though now we're gonna have to do a lot less flying to avoid detection." The mount pouted even more at this news.

"You won't escape," said the guard, "You've disturbed the natural order and you will pay the price for-AAAAACK!" The soldier's statement was interrupted by a very displeased Johann as the dragon boy began jumping up and down on the soldier's back.

"You're the one who's gonna pay the price!" He exclaimed as he continued trouncing all over the guard, "Because of you guys I can't fly around anymore! Now I've gotta ride in that cramped wagon and listen to Filo's awful singing!"

"I sing perfectly fine," commented Filo with her arms crossed.

"Besides," said Darius, "If anyone's disturbing the natural order it's you guys. Tampering with a summoning ritual you know nothing about and demonizing one of the four cardinal heroes. Heck, the very fact an Armory Hero's been summoned means things are wonky as all-he's unconscious isn't he?" Johann stopped jumping for a moment and checked before nodding his head to indicate that said guard was indeed out like a light.

"Well now that that's dealt with we'd best get moving," said Naofumi, "Filo, you mind sending the rest of those guys up the road?"

"Okay!" Cheered the bird girl as she transformed into her Filolial form and kicked the shield prison with a full force blow. They could hear all of the guards screaming like people on an amusement park ride as the sphere went barreling down the road away from them, with the skill ending somewhere out of sight. Even despite the situation, Rifana managed to get a laugh out of the sight of it as they all packed up and headed on.

Nightfall, A Couple Days Later: Outside of a Nearby Town

As they'd feared, the king's mages had managed to create several false images from the recording of the crystal ball which made it look like they'd killed all of the guards and captured Melty. In a matter only of a couple days the images were circulated throughout the entirety of Melromarc and wanted posters depicting each of their faces, with stupid evil looks, were put up inside of every town they passed. Guards were also checking everyone at the town entrances, forcing them to get creative when it came to gathering supplies. Most often, they would employ Raphtalia's illusion magic to get into the city while also making use of the various outfits Darius had stored in his inventory, some of which he'd actually intended to use for possible undercover missions.

They also patrolled the areas every so often whenever they parked the wagon for a certain period of time to rest, which was usually in the forest just outside of a town. Darius and Rifana were returning from one of these patrols to find Melty angry yet again at something Naofumi said. "Oh great," said the Armory Hero as he approached her, Johann and the Shield Hero's party around the campfire, "It was another argument about whether or not it was your father wasn't it?"

"I know he hasn't shown all of you his best side," said Melty, "but he wouldn't go this far and he especially wouldn't threaten the life of his own daughter."

"Look I agree that it's more likely your older sister's doing," said Darius, "but I will also say that it's possible your father is helping her while having no idea of her true intentions."

"That's not the point, though," said Melty, "you all shouldn't be at each other's throats at such a critical time. The waves are the true enemy yet you fight amongst yourselves." Darius was about to reply back to that when Naofumi came walking down the hill, returning from his own patrol.

"We're about out of time," he said, "we'll need to keep on moving soon and try to reach the border before they close it off." Most everyone nodded except for Melty who simply turned her head away with a 'hmph' gesture. "I suppose I should ask what you plan on doing too."

"If I leave this group, I may be able to return to the capital and talk to fa-," Melty started to say before Naofumi stopped her.

"Still a bad idea," said Naofumi, "even if you're alone you'll still probably be killed by one of the guards before you make it back to the capital. But, if you think you can tolerate being around us for a bit longer, I promise I can keep you safe until we figure a way out of this mess."

"Please come with us Mel," said Filo with a hopeful expression on her face. The second princess considered her options for a moment before answering.

"Alright, I'll remain with you at least a little longer," agreed Melty.

"Then be ready, because we're heading out before dawn," said Naofumi, "and we're gonna have to leave the wagon behind for now."

"Whaaaat! Yeaaaaaah!" Said Filo and Johann at the same time, their expressions the complete opposite of each other.

Unknown Cave in the Melromarc Mountain Range

Filo protested a good bit about leaving the wagon behind, only stopping once Naofumi promised they'd come back for it later. The fact of the matter was, there was no path for the wagon to go on in the rocky mountain range they were crossing to avoid detection, so traveling on foot was their only option. Darius and Rifana took the lead on this particular part of the journey as the Armory Hero had more experience hiding from patrols thanks to dodging drones in his own world, and the weasel girl had more experience spotting possible ambushes. It occasionally made for some slow-going, but they still made progress towards the border despite that.

One interesting phenomenon they noted was where the majority of soldiers was being concentrated, at the border between Melromarc and Siltvelt. Naofumi had decided to change their travel plans then and there, suspecting there was a reason the soldiers were trying so hard to keep them from getting to that particular country. Darius wasn't entirely for it, given that they were basically trying to get through the most heavily guarded area where they were most likely to be caught, but he was outvoted when Melty decided to support the Shield Hero's decision, breaking the tie between his group and the Shield Hero's. This led them to their current resting place, a rock formation which formed a cave-like structure.

The group sat around a lantern which was the only light source aside from the stars outside. Johann and Filo had quickly fallen asleep, for some reason on either side of Melty while Raphtalia and Naofumi were opposite them. Rifana and Darius sat in the middle near the back of the cave, either examining their weapons or checking the remaining supplies. Naofumi kept watch from his position in the cave, or at least he was until Melty decided to break the silence. "Sir Shield Hero," she said, "I must ask, what exactly occurred between you and my father? My mother left with orders that the Shield Hero be treated well should he be summoned in our country, so what happened?"

"He did everything, but, what your mother told him to do," answered Darius as he looked up from the dagger he'd been examining.

"Darius," said Naofumi with a tone of warning in his voice.

"What, you're not gonna tell her," said the Armory Hero, "We've talked about this before, you've made up your mind that no one's gonna believe you but we got a golden opportunity right now to prove that theory wrong." The Shield Hero clearly wasn't convinced by this argument, but Darius turned back to Melty and continued anyway. "Long story short this is actually the second time Naofumi's been framed by your hussy sister, and possibly your father, for a crime he didn't commit. The first time he was robbed by your sibling and then falsely accused of trying to force himself on her, a charge which your dear old daddy was more than happy to agree with and spread all over the kingdom."

"What, but father wouldn't do-," Melty started to protest before the Armory Hero held his hand up to stop her.

"Oh it gets better," Darius said, "after the first wave when it was discovered that Naofumi actually managed to find a companion, our dear raccoon girl Raphtalia, Malty lied about how she was being treated so Motoyasu, the blockhead hero, would challenge him to a duel. The king then proceeds to force Naofumi to accept the challenge and even though he won it was declared that I 'interfered' when I stopped Malty from blasting him with a wind spell and the match was given to Motoyasu instead. Obviously it wound up backfiring on 'em when Raphtalia and Rifana gave the royals and pole boy a piece of their mind. Topping it all off, he tried to weasel his way out of paying us the promised reward for fighting the wave by claiming that the removal of Raphtalia's slave crest cost five hundred silver, the minimum amount we heroes apparently get paid for doing our jobs."

"But that can't be, it isn't true is it," questioned Melty whose eyes had been widening in shock with each revelation.

"I'm afraid it is," said Raphtalia, "for whatever reason both the King and Malty have been treating Master Naofumi unfairly ever since he arrived."

"Though Darius left out the part where I punched your sister in the gut," said Rifana, "And the part where he threatened the king with spears, what's the count, twice now."

"You did what?!" exclaimed Melty, waking up Filo and Johann a bit with her outburst.

"Hey the guy was being a prick," said Darius defensively, "and judging by the letter your shadow gave me, he's been overstepping his authority more than a little."

"I've been meaning to ask about that," said Naofumi, "the letter Darius has makes it sound like the King is lower on the pecking order than the Queen, is that true?"

"Well Melromarc is based on matrilineal succession," replied Melty, regaining her composure, "so yes the Queen is higher than the King."

"So what you're telling me is he married into the royal family and has to answer to your mother but still acts like he runs the whole place," questioned Naofumi with an amused smirk.

"What's funny about that?" Questioned Melty, "He's still the king so he does have some authority."

"Yeah, as adopted royalty," remarked Naofumi, getting an angry pouting face from Melty. Any further conversation, however, ceased when they noticed a flock of birds flying off in the distance. "Time to get moving." It was practically a routine now as everyone quickly grabbed their supplies and moved out of the cave to continue down the mountain side.

The group continued heading for the border to Siltvelt, but as Darius feared the guard presence increased dramatically the closer they got. The two parties were forced to trek next to cliff sides and steep drops, avoiding the roads as the guards searched the surrounding forest. Eventually they ran out of options upon spotting a large patrol unit and took a narrow route on a canyon wall right below the road.

The wall was steep on their left side and there was nothing but a long drop on their right as the party moved along the narrow path at a cautious pace. But in the end the area where the path led back up towards the road was also being patrolled by guards. "They got this route covered too," said Darius as he held up a hand for everyone to stop, "there's no way around this spot without them seeing us, we'll need to backtrack and look for another way." No one argued as the seven of them turned to head back, only to run into another problem as the rock beneath Melty's foot gave way.

The startled princess let out a terrified yell just before Naofumi reached out and grabbed her hand, losing his pack in the process of pulling her back up. "There's something down there!" yelled one of the guards from the cliff above them.

"Crap, we're gonna have company," said Naofumi as he helped Melty to her feet.

"We'll make a break towards the rocky path down there," said Darius as he conjured seven chains from the rock wall, "everyone grab on!" Melty looked unsure for a moment, but did as instructed when she watched the rest of them grab a chain without hesitation. "Down we go!" The whole party leapt forward and slid down the wall as the chains lengthened and slowed their fall until they landed on another rocky path.

The guards weren't far behind, unfortunately, as the large patrol charged down a path which converged near where they planned to escape. Adding to their bad luck, the moon came out from behind some of the clouds to reveal that their path of escape, had a very large gap in the road. Too large to jump across. "Shit," both cardinal heroes said as everyone in their party turned around to face the oncoming guards, and some pursuers they did not expect.

"You're at a dead end and you're surrounded," said Itsuki as he stepped into the moonlight with Ren and Motoyasu flanking him close behind, "so it'd be best if you all surrender now and release princess Melty."

"We don't need to release her," said Naofumi, "she's not even a prisoner to begin with."

"Don't try to lie your way out of this," said Motoyasu smugly, "we've got all the proof we need."

"Oh for fuck's sake, sorry about this Melty," said Darius as he grabbed the second princess under her armpits and hoisted her up into the air, "does she look like a prisoner to you, and I'm asking you to really use your eyes this time dumb ass! Note the lack of ropes, bindings or even a gag."

"Put me down Sir Hero I'll handle this," said an annoyed Melty. The Armory Hero did as requested, allowing her to recompose herself before speaking. "Now then, Sir Armory Hero's antics aside, I am perfectly fine as I'm certain you all can see. The Shield Hero and his companions have actually been protecting me this whole time."

"But didn't Naofumi abduct you?" Questioned Ren in what was becoming an all too familiar confused tone.

"What advantage could either of them gain by abducting me?" Questioned Melty, "Someone has been plotting my death and used my own guards in an attempt to assassinate me. After these two heroes saved me I asked them to bring me along and guard my life."

"Guarding your life, but that can't be right," said Itsuki, also confused yet again.

"My mother the Queen said now is the time to work together," said Melty, "only then will we be able to fend off the waves of catastrophe. The world will not be able to endure anymore of these pointless conflicts amongst ourselves so I implore all of you, please put down your weapons!"

"It's all true," said Naofumi, "we've been set up. I can explain everything so let's-."

"I order you not to listen to him!" commanded a familiar, infuriating voice as Myne stepped into the light behind the three heroes. "This lying demon possesses a shield capable of brainwa-."

"OH YOU'RE SO DONE!" yelled Rifana as she stepped forward and reached for her mace before Darius stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Rifana no!" exclaimed Darius before returning his voice to normal volume, "If we attack now a whole fight will break out. We're trying to avoid that." The weasel girl was clearly not on board with such an order, but complied nonetheless as she backed up while keeping a hand on her weapon.

"As I was saying," continued Malty, "a brainwashing shield. It allows the shield hero to take over one's mind just by talking to you. It's the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal."

"But that's just stupid," said Raphtalia, "who would even believe something so ridiculous?" 'Probably the three stooges standing across from us,' thought Darius with slight irritation.

"How else would you explain the findings by the Three Heroes Church," said Malty as she turned to the other heroes, "heretics worshiping the shield have been mysteriously popping up all over Melromarc this past month."

"And why, pray tell, would the king be making use of the Three Heroes Church for an investigation?" Questioned Darius, "If I recall the Queen has her own network of spies whose job is to gather information of all kinds, including whether or not one of us wields the power to brainwash people."

"But what else could it be?" Questioned Myne, "The two of you have managed to travel around under the guise of the Savior of the Heavenly Fowl and the Merciful Dragon Knight, gaining the love of the people. It has to be the Devil of the Shield and his Right Hand brainwashing the innocent and now they've brainwashed my dear sweet sister Melty!"

"Oh give me a break," said Rifana with her arms crossed, "the people love them because they did what heroes are supposed to do wherever they went. And come to think of it, you don't really have any authority here given that Melty's been given the rights to succeed the throne. So why don't you do something useful with that mouth of yours for once and eat a dick."

"What did you say you-," Myne started to retort before Ren stopped her and stepped forward.

"Can you give us proof that your shield doesn't possess such an ability?" Questioned Ren.

"If my shield could really do something like that I would've used it a long time ago to clear my name and we wouldn't even be in this situation right now," said Naofumi.

"Then maybe you'd be willing to make an arrangement," said Ren as he held out his hand, "let us take the princess from here on out. I can promise she'll be safe."

"Now we're gonna need some proof," said Darius, "tell me, do you plan on bringing Motoyasu's main squeeze and the guards along with you?"

"Why of course," said Malty as she leaned against the Sword Hero, "with all three heroes, an armed guard and her loving sister, there would be no safer place."

"Yeah not happening," said Darius as he held up a few fingers, "if we're gonna let her go with you then there's a couple of conditions. One, no guards, no Motoyasu and especially no backstabbing red head."

"Hey what's your problem?!" exclaimed Motoyasu, "I'm just as capable of keeping her safe as the other two."

"Except you think with your pole instead of your brain and you clearly don't wear the pants in your little relationship," Darius pointed out. "If we're gonna do this, it'll just be Ren and Itsuki coming along with me, Johann and Melty. Oh and before I forget, Melty, is your mother far away from here?"

"It would take a couple days to reach her but she's not terribly far, why?" Asked the second princess.

"Good, because that's the third condition," said Darius, "we're gonna see the Queen while the rest of my party is allowed to leave."

"Oh come on boss do I really have to carry four people?" groaned Johann.

"You'll carry Me, Melty and Ren," said Darius, "Itsuki will ride along a distance behind us so he can make use of his long range abilities if the need arises."

"Those are some steep conditions you're asking for," said the Bow Hero, "how do we know you won't try anything?"

"It's me and a dragon boy versus two cardinal heroes," said Darius, "what could I do against that?"

"He does bring up a good point," said Ren, "but why do you want to see the queen?"

"Because as long as we're in Melromarc, Melty isn't safe," replied the Armory Hero, "so what's it gonna be?"

"We couldn't possibly agree to such terms!" declared Myne as she pointed at Darius's bands, "As the Armory Hero he has the ability to copy other legendary weapons, which means he must be planning on brainwashing my mother in place of the devil of the shield!"

"Oh for, now can I kill her," said Rifana as she pulled out her mace. She was disappointed yet again as Raphtalia put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. She also took that moment to whisper a quick plan into her ear, which Rifana then passed along to Johann.

"She does bring up an interesting point," said Ren, "we can agree to just me and Itsuki escorting her, but none of you will be coming along just to be on the safe side." 'This would actually be a good line of thought if it wasn't based on something so obviously untrue,' thought the Armory Hero with a groan.

"Why don't we let Melty decide then," said Naofumi as he glanced at the second princess who'd been clinging to his cape ever since Ren offered to take her.

"I," Melty started to say before raising her voice, "I'm afraid I cannot agree to those terms. The Shield and Armory Heroes have succeeded in keeping me safe up until now and I know I can trust them to continue to do so."

"There ya have it," said Darius, directing his next comment towards Myne, "so better luck next time on trying to murder your own sister to become crown princess. NOW!" Both cardinal heroes shouted at the same time, prompting their mounts to leap into action. Johann leapt off the cliff with Darius and Rifana right behind him as he transformed and caught his party members on his back. As for Filo, once her party was situated on her back she actually charged forward, surprising their would be captors before using one of Naofumi's airstrike shields as a platform to leap off of.

The two mounts flew towards the opposite side of the gap, but before they could get too far Motoyasu and Myne produced a pair of shackles which they pitched into the air. A purple magic surrounded the iron bindings as one clamped onto Johann's leg while the other clamped onto Filo's leg, forcing them both to transform back into their human forms. This was more than a little problematic as the entire party was now in free fall towards the ground below. "Crap, hang on everyone!" exclaimed Darius as he held out his hand, "Rolling Armory Shell!"

A collection of shields, swords and spears appeared around all of them and mashed together to form a boulder of weapons. Unlike the last few times, however, Darius wasn't alone in the shell and it was cramped. "I swear if that's your ass in my face Darius I'm gonna wring your neck!" exclaimed Naofumi as they hit the ground and began rolling at high speed.

"Just deal with it, we're all cramped," said Rifana as everyone felt themselves getting dizzy from the rolling motion of the weapons shell. And wondering if this was some sort of karma for what they did to the other soldiers.

"Oh crap I forgot he could do that," said Motoyasu as Itsuki stepped forward and took a kneeling position.

"I've got this, thunder arrow!" Said Itsuki as his bow fired a rain of red energy bolts at the retreating weapons boulder. Not all of them hit, but the ones that did managed to chip away little bits of the Armory Hero's attack at a time until it finally fell apart, causing both parties to spill out over different sides of the path and land in a heap.

"Ow," said Raphtalia as she managed to get back onto her knees, "are you okay Filo?"

"I'm fine," said the bird girl, "but I can't get this thing off my ankle and my strength is all gone."

"That's not good, what should we do Master Nao-what a minute, where's Master Naofumi!" A similar situation was happening on the other side of the path.

"Well this has been a good day," commented Rifana as she struggled to her hands and knees, "How are you guys-wait a sec, that's not Darius's ass sticking up."

"Do I even want to know how you're able to tell our asses apart?" Questioned Naofumi as he sat up and untangled himself from his cape. A notification appeared in his HUD then as an image of Darius appeared.

"I take it my party is with you then?" Asked the voice of Darius over his HUD.

"Yeah, both Rifana and Johann are over here along with Melty," replied Naofumi, "It looks like those shackles clamped on their legs is preventing them from transforming." A flare of purple light shot up from the cliff where the other three heroes had been as he finished his sentence.

"And that is probably a signal for reinforcements," said Darius, "we better move and try to find some place to meet back up." A task which would prove monumental as the entirety of the gathered guards and the three heroes were now charging down the mountain path after them. Before dawn of the next day, heroes would be facing heroes.

**And the chase is on! With the two parties split can they hope to evade their pursuers and meet back up again? Will they even have a chance to escape or is hero versus hero inevitable? Hello everyone, sorry if the story was a little shorter this week, but I've had a few issues here and there going on. That being said, I believed this was a good stopping point for this chapter and hopefully it was still an enjoyable read for all. Be sure to stop in next time as Darius and Naofumi contend with the mayhem of having switched party members. 'Til then.**


	18. New Yet Familiar Routes

**New Yet Familiar Routes**

**Welcome again everyone to a new chapter of my Shield Hero fan fic. First off let me say this: I have heard your reviews and starting from this chapter onward I will no longer be censoring the swearing. For those who don't know I only did it in the first place because I personally thought it was funny. But, to insure my readers can better enjoy the story I shall let the shit be seen. And for guest reviewer Jason Wu's question: Heck if I know, but I do agree the author should have some type of explanation as to why everyone in the story is so damn stupid. Speaking of story, let's get to the latest chapter!**

Unknown Melromarc Canyons: Night Time

The last couple of days had been, interesting, to say the least. Thanks to the work of some of Malty's royal mages a recording of what looked like Darius and Naofumi's parties kidnapping second princess Melty Melromarc had been circulated all over the kingdom. The result being that now they were all on the run and couldn't simply hand Melty back over as her devious sister no doubt had a plan to insure she never made it back to the capital. The false accusations of the first princess had also had the effect of getting not one, not two, but all of the remaining cardinal heroes on their trail, none of whom seemed smart, or at least not willing enough to question the current circumstances even after Melty assured them she was fine.

Now thanks to the three morons, both Johann and Filo were incapable of flying and the parties had been jumbled and split up on different sides of a large cliff wall. Which was why Naofumi was currently running with Rifana, Johann and Melty down the dirt path. "Guys, we got incoming!" exclaimed Rifana as her ears twitched, picking up the sound of several objects falling towards them, fireballs.

"Take cover behind me!" ordered Naofumi as he held his shield up, "Airstrike shield!" The large green ethereal defense formed in front of the Shield Hero as the rest of his friends huddled together to avoid any stray shots as several fireballs impacted and exploded against the emerald barrier. After several hits the large shield dissipated, but in that time Rifana had chanted a spell and ran out from behind Naofumi with an attack of her own.

"Stone Barrage!" she yelled as she hit the ground with her mace and sent a shower of high speed rock at the cliff side where the fireballs had come from. A group of robed men on horseback pulled back from the edge, though some weren't fast enough and were knocked off their horses by the stone projectiles.

"Zweit Aqua slash!" yelled Melty, who'd also been chanting a spell in cover, as she fired a stream of water at some of the regrouping pursuers. The spell quickly knocked down the closer ones while dousing the flames of some of the others who'd tried to cast more fire magic.

"You know magic, that's awesome!" cheered Johann with his fists clenched in excitement.

"It is," Melty said, "but it seems my sister took several precautions as those were mages who just attacked us."

"We've got other problems," said Naofumi as he pointed at the arrival of several pursuing knights who suddenly set up in formation with bows at the ready. "Archers! Get back!" Rifana and Melty retreated as Naofumi summoned his rage shield.

"On my command," said Myne, who'd just shown up on the cliff above them, "FIRE!" A hail of arrows fell on the party, most of which disintegrated on contact with the flaming weapon.

"Myne stop!" yelled Ren as he came running up from the path and emerged from behind the archers, "you'll hit the second princess if you just fire away like that!"

"We have to free her from the shield's brainwashing at all costs!" declared Myne as she raised her hands and began conjuring an extraordinarily large fireball above her head, "even if it means using brute force!"

"You fire that and it'll only hit all of you back even harder," said Naofumi as he lifted his rage shield higher, "are you really willing to endanger everyone like that?!"

"I'll do what I must to destroy the devil of the shield!" declared Myne as she made the fireball even larger.

"As source of thy power I order thee," said Rifana quickly, "decipher the laws of nature and bring a landslide down on my foes, rockslide tremor!" The weasel girl slammed her mace into the cliff wall, causing several glowing yellow cracks to spider web out in all directions before breaking apart. Myne yelled in fear as her spell disappeared and the spot she'd been standing on collapsed with almost the entire side of the cliff, burying all of the archers and other assembled soldiers, including the mages who'd been standing by near the first princess.

"Damn it Rifana!" exclaimed Naofumi as his shield reverted back to normal, "I thought it was clear we're trying to prove our innocence! Are you trying to make us look like killers?!"

"Would you relax for a second," said Rifana as she pointed to the pile of rubble where some of the soldiers were slowly but surely pulling themselves out, "I made sure to only drop enough weight to block the road and keep them off our backs. Darius would know I'm not that irresponsible and he'd point out that you were about to use rage shield on all of them."

"Well he's not here right now," said Naofumi, "so next time give me a heads up when you're about to try a plan like that."

"Sure thing," said Rifana with a sigh as she and the others turned to leave. 'He hasn't been gone for much more than an hour and I already miss his ass.' She thought as a groan drew their attention. Stopping to look back, the group saw that it was Ren who was pulling himself out of the rubble.

"Just," the Sword Hero said between breaths, "just wait a minute. Things don't have to be this way." The Shield Hero took a moment to think on what to do next before pulling out the Three Heroes Church Rosary and tossing it to Ren.

"If you want answers, look into the church," Naofumi called from a distance, "If anyone can figure out what's going on it's you Ren." His party turned and headed off then, following the trail into a nearby forest and out of sight of their pursuers.

Other Side of the Cliff: About the Same Time

"Warhammer whirlwind!" Called Darius as he flung his weapon, sending it spinning towards a group of soldiers who were quickly scattered by the swirling wind around it. The ones lucky enough to avoid the hammer were picked off by Raphtalia as she appeared, bashed them with her sword, and disappeared again. 'Nothing like having an enchanted war hammer,' thought the Armory Hero as he lifted his hand and caught the returning weapon. It was one of a couple weapons he'd picked up from the recently unsealed Koteraan weapons vault and now that he had a chance to use them he wasn't going to waste it.

"That's the second group we've taken down," said Raphtalia as she appeared next to Darius and Filo poked her head out from behind a nearby rock, "But we can't keep this up, I don't have enough mana for it."

"If we can reach the forest at the end of this trail without encountering another group, you won't have too," said Darius as they started down the path again.

"I just want to get this thing off my ankle," whined Filo, "I hate hiding behind a rock."

"You do remember you've got those gloves Erhard gave you, right," said Darius as he glanced at the bird girl.

"Oh, you mean these," said Filo as she pulled them out with a sheepish smile on her face, "I guess I kinda forgot. Master's usually close by and tells me what to do."

"You are kind of all over the place Darius," added Raphtalia, "the first time you pulled out that hammer you almost hit me while I was invisible."

"Naofumi's abilities force him to remain relatively stationary," said Darius, "I can switch between several forms of offense so naturally I'm gonna be moving a lot more. Also, not used to having a teammate who can turn-LOOK OUT!" The three of them dove forward as a certain spear wielding hero came crashing down with a powerful thrust right behind them.

"I thought we were going to jump at the same time," said the Bow Hero as he leapt down and landed next to the Spear Hero.

"Yeah but then I thought about it and I realized this was a way cooler entrance," said Motoyasu as he pulled his weapon out of the ground and pointed it at the three fugitives.

"Hey Motorola, Dick Suki," said Darius as he and the rest got back on their feet, "I take it Ren went after Naofumi given that I don't see him here."

"It's only logical to assume you'd be the more dangerous threat," said Itsuki, "you're multiple offensive and copy abilities are quite formidable."

"I still think it's overkill," said Motoyasu, "all of his abilities are cheap imitations, so I could handle him easy."

"Really, I hear you couldn't beat master even though he can't attack much," said Filo as she poked her head out from behind Raphtalia.

"W-what, no Filo I'm sure you heard wrong, I was having an off day ya know." Stuttered the Spear Hero, clearly surprised that she even knew about that.

"And now we know why you're here," said Darius, "you're creepy angel loli fetish."

"I'm here to save both Raphtalia and Filo from that bastard Naofumi's brainwashing you prick!" declared Motoyasu as he pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"I guess you're only going to listen to two people on this issue," said the Armory Hero as he stepped to the side with some parting words to his companions, "I'll leave pedo-spear to you ladies, feel free to go all out."

"Right," said Raphtalia and Filo as they stepped towards the Spear Hero and took fighting stances.

"No wait, hold on," said Motoyasu, "I'm not supposed to fight you t-AH!" The Spear Hero stumbled back as the two girls charged him. While that was going on, Darius approached Itsuki who still had his bow trained on him.

"I'll give you one last chance to surrender," said Itsuki, "there's no need for this to continue."

"Sure, as soon as you tell me where Myne's gotten off too," said the Armory Hero, "because somehow I doubt Motoyasu sent her off of his own accord."

"She wanted to rescue her sister," said Itsuki, "it's only natural she'd go that direction."

"You're only half right," said Darius, "you see despite Melty being the second princess, she's actually first in line to inherit the throne. The reason for that is because her older bitch of a sister has personality issues so bad that her own mother believed her unfit to rule. So she is going because her sister's there, but not because she wants to rescue her. She wants to kill her."

"But, that's ridiculous," said Itsuki, "why would she do something so unjust?"

"Do you know medieval history," questioned Darius, "heck, do you know the history of almost any kingdom, it's all about the power and not caring how it's obtained. I'm sure even Japan's had a few instances in the past where family murdered family for power. It's not right and it's not just but it happens because malicious people like that figure once they're making the rules, consequences will no longer apply to them, and Malty Melromarc is very much a malicious person." Itsuki looked like he was thinking on that for a moment before answering.

"It's plausible, I'll admit that much," said Itsuki as he lowered his bow slightly before raising it back up, "but either way you're still a fugitive, so I'll make sure you're telling the truth once I bring you all in."

"And here I'd hoped we were actually reaching an understanding," said Darius as he leapt out of the way to reveal three portals with a spear, sword and arrow that fired at the Bow Hero. Itsuki was quick to launch his own attack, easily destroying the three weapons before turning and firing at Darius who was strafing around him. The Armory Hero tucked and rolled out of the way, generating more portals as he went which shot even more projectiles at his opponent.

This time Itsuki was forced to move out of the way as the two of them ran while exchanging shot after shot. The Bow Hero quickly got frustrated with this contest, however, and fired a spray of red thunder arrows. Darius responded by raising his phalanx wall with some of his best shields which managed to hold off a majority of the attacks. A few of the shields did fall under the barrage, however, causing the attacks which got through to generate a good bit of dust which obscured Itsuki's view of his opponent as he flanked around to the left side of the shield wall and fired a wind arrow.

The shot succeeded in blasting away the dust, revealing the Bow Hero's target, wasn't there. The sound of a whip flying towards him on his left side was all the warning he got as some kind of weight struck him on his left arm, causing him to stagger a bit. When he tried to raise his bow towards the threat, the weight struck him on his left hand, making his shot go wide and hit nothing but dirt. He attempted to raise his bow again and again and each time it was struck by the same linked weight which threw his aim off before it finally wrapped around his ankle and yanked him onto the ground.

A couple of tridents and three-pronged spears emerged from above him then and pinned his bow and left arm to the ground, keeping him from not only lifting his weapon but also from getting back up. "Do you like the sea snake whip," asked Darius as he approached with said weapon in his hands, "picked this one up in Koteraan too, nasty piece of work that uses enchanted water to generate venomous fangs to paralyze the target, or in this case, get past the divine protections of a cardinal hero and actually inflict pain."

"You won't get away with this," seethed Itsuki as he tried to free his arm.

"Geez you guys need to get your hearing adjusted or something," said Darius as he sent the weapon back to his inventory and shrugged his shoulders, "the only thing we're getting away with is making it hard for Malty, the King and the Three Heroes Church to get away with what they want to get away with. If you actually take some time and look into who you're working for you just might discover who the real bad guys are here." The Armory Hero tossed a church rosary next to Itsuki before turning to leave.

"You're not getting away!" declared Itsuki as he managed to free his weapon and arm from the tridents before pulling himself up to a half-kneeling position. But as he was about to level his bow, a large hole opened up beneath him, causing him to fall several feet down until he hit soft dirt. "Don't think this'll hold me!"

"I almost wish I could take credit for it," said Darius as he turned and conjured a weapon at the sound of approaching footsteps, only to stop when he realized who it was. "Rishia, what are you doing here?"

"Well I didn't exactly plan on it," said Rishia as she pressed her fingers together, "I was clearing up some monsters when I ran into the Bow Hero's party. Apparently they liked how I wielded my magic and invited me along to keep fighting the waves. But when I heard they were going after your party I knew something wasn't right."

"Well we'd best go then before he climbs out of that hole," said Darius, "Did you happen to see how Raphtalia and Filo are doing?" The sound of Motoyasu yelling as he was sent flying through the air told them all they needed to know.

"Oh, why Filo," groaned the Spear Hero as he held onto his family jewels once again.

"Yay, spear guy went flying again!" cheered Filo as she and Raphtalia made their way over to Darius and Rishia.

"Are you alright Darius, and aren't you Rishia, the nobleman's daughter from Koteraan?" Asked Raphtalia.

"I am," she said with a bow, "it's good to see you all again. But we'd best hurry before they get back up. There's a side trail over here that'll lead into the forest."

"You take point then," said Darius, "we'll be right behind you." The green-haired girl nodded as they ran down the trail and into the nearest section of trees before continuing down a worn trail which looked like it was used by the local wildlife. By the time Itsuki got out of the hole, his quarry was long gone.

Mountain Forest: Some Time Later

Both groups kept separated in order to make it more difficult for them to be found, only stopping when they absolutely needed to rest. This became even more critical when they noticed a large forest fire closing in on them, likely caused by Myne and the other soldiers to flush them out. But it only succeeded in getting them to flee to another section of the forest where they continued their pattern of move, rest when necessary, then move again. It was during one of these breaks where Darius was finally able to spare a moment to contact Naofumi. "Any sign of pursuit on your end?" Asked the Shield Hero as his image appeared on the HUD.

"We haven't seen or heard anyone for at least an hour," replied Darius as he worked on using a lock picking skill to remove the shackle on Filo's leg, "hopefully that means we're safe for now. How are Rifana and Johann?"

"You're dragon boy is a lot better now that he's got this shackle off his leg," said Naofumi as the sound of both him and Rifana saying hi could be heard over the transmission.

"Well he'll be disappointed to know that Filo's is off too," said Darius as his Stat screen confirmed the shackle's spell and lock had been disarmed, causing it to fall off of the Filolial girl's ankle.

"Yay, free at last!" cheered Filo as she immediately turned into her bird form and spun around for a moment.

"Filo please be a little quieter," urged Raphtalia, "we're still trying to hide." The bird girl pouted but sat down nonetheless.

"So what's our plan now," asked the Armory Hero, "a good portion of the king's soldiers and the three puppet heroes are standing between us and Siltvelt, which means it'll be nearly impossible to cross the border without running into another fight with them."

"Funny you should mention that," replied the Shield Hero, "because that shadow we bumped into walking down the stairs at the castle the other day popped up just a minute ago to suggest another course of action. We go see the queen of Melromarc."

"Well it wouldn't hurt to have royalty on our side for once, no offense Melty," said Darius as he heard the girl 'hmph' on the other end of the line, "where would we need to go?"

"She's currently in another country which just so happens to be in the opposite direction we'd planned on going," informed Naofumi.

"Well as just mentioned our planned route is kind of a bust," said Darius as he pulled out the map and looked at it, "assuming they still think we're headed to Siltvelt the guard presence should be lower around that country's border, in theory."

"Yeah but is that really our only option," said Naofumi, "All we were told was that the queen would explain the situation to us once we got there."

"Well given what Melty's told us she's a lot more reasonable than the king," said Darius, "not to mention the only reason we were going out of the country in the first place was to find a dragon's hourglass for class upgrades. If the Queen can provide at least that then the trip will be worth it, and we might learn why King ass clown is being such a dick in the first place."

"I guess it's a chance we'll have to take then," said Naofumi, "but we also need a place to meet up."

"How about in this region," said Melty as the map was held up where the cardinal hero could see it on his HUD, "I happen to know the nobleman in charge of the area."

"Wait a sec," said Darius as he looked closer at the map, recognizing a few features, "I know this region too, Lord Van Reichnott lives around here."

"You know Lord Reichnott?" Questioned Melty with what Darius assumed was a confused tilt of her head.

"He gave me, Rifana and her friends shelter after I rescued them from a piece of human garbage named Idol Rabier," explained Darius, "and if you know him too then it's a safe bet he'd be willing to at least listen to the truth of what's really going on right now."

"It'd probably be best if we met up first before meeting him though," said Naofumi as he indicated a spot on the map, "I'd like to make sure we're not taken by surprise if it turns out he's in league with the king."

"Highly unlikely given it was the king who banished him to the far reaches in the first place," said Darius as he circled the spot on the map before rolling it back up, "but I'm sure you'll understand once you see for yourself. In the meantime, we'd best get moving."

"Right," said the Shield Hero, "just call if something goes wrong." The Armory Hero gave an affirmative as the image of his comrade disappeared from his HUD.

"Alright, time to get moving again," said Darius as he signaled for everyone to head out. With the current lack of pursuit, the goal was to put as much distance between them and the forest fire as possible, so they elected to go on one of the mountain roads to increase their pace a bit. Without the need to watch their step for branches or large rocks, the group was able to focus on other things. Which is why Raphtalia decided now was a good time to get some answers to a few questions.

"I know I shouldn't need to ask this," said Raphtalia to Rishia, "but aren't you afraid of getting kicked out of the Bow Hero's party for helping us?"

"I'd like to think Sir Itsuki is better than that," said Rishia with a sigh, "I wasn't sure what to think when he asked me to join his party. After all it was the Bow Hero's party who was responsible for the state of Koteraan worsening. But after meeting him I could tell that he didn't mean any harm and was just trying to help, so I thought maybe if I was there I could keep him from repeating the same mistake again."

"That reminds me," Said Darius, "I suppose we should think of some kind of excuse for you when we run into them again. If they really believe the whole tall tale about a brainwashing shield then they might just assume you didn't know what you were doing and leave it at that."

"But they should know the truth," said Rishia, "you, Rifana, Johann and Lady Figneria risked your lives to save not only me but my entire homeland! The only reason I'm even here right now is because you rescued me from the nobleman who was holding me for ransom. I can't just go along with a lie that will make you look like some criminal!"

"And I'd more than appreciate it if the situation was different," said Darius, "but right now anyone caught helping or even associating with us could be at risk so long as the nation still believes we kidnapped Melty. So unless you have reason to believe Itsuki and the other heroes will listen, it'd be best if you just played dumb for now. Plus, I'd rather not have to explain to your father why his daughter is locked up again." Rishia deflated a bit at this logic, knowing that he was probably right.

"It'll be fine Rishia," said Raphtalia with a hand on her shoulder, "we'll figure this mess out and get our names cleared, so don't worry." This seemed to cheer the green-haired girl up a bit as she nodded with a small smile. "By the way, I've been wondering something." Raphtalia leaned in closer to whisper her question to Rishia. "Did anything happen between Darius and Rifana in Koteraan, because they've been acting strange ever since they got back."

"Well I don't know the particulars but," a blush appeared on the green-haired girl's face as she said her next words, "I remember losing track of them during the celebration and when I went looking for them, they were in the royal chambers with Lady Figneria doing, I'm not sure how to describe it but they had the door locked and-."

"DARIUS SAXON!" exclaimed Raphtalia, having heard enough to guess what must've happened as she stomped ahead of Rishia. "Did you really?! With my best friend?!"

"Let's just hold up for a second," said the surprised cardinal hero as he rubbed the ear the raccoon girl had yelled in, "what exactly am I being accused of?"

"You, you and Rifana did the stuff you're supposed to do, well, after kissing didn't you?!" said a now very flustered Raphtalia.

"Oh, uh, that," said Darius sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head before sighing, "I suppose if I don't tell you'll just badger Rifana until she does. So let's just get one thing straight right off the bat-."

Forest Trail with Naofumi's Party

"IT WASN'T OUR IDEA!" exclaimed Rifana. Oddly enough, Naofumi had picked this particular time as well to ask a similar question to the weasel girl. He was truthfully just making a bit of conversation, which was why he was more than a little surprised at her sudden outburst. "It was Figneria's idea," Rifana explained, "you see I know Darius isn't the type to hang around large crowds for an extended period of time, he's just not used to that sort of thing even if he's polite and doesn't show it. So I took him up to the royal chambers where we could both get a good bit of sleep, and yes I did want to cuddle with him a bit."

"And then your weapons teacher shows up and, what, tells you to," Naofumi surmised until realization struck, "no, you two didn't, did you? The reason you two have been kind of awkward is-?"

"Yep," said Rifana as she fidgeted, "Me, Darius and our teacher Figneria all did the deed."

"That dog," said Naofumi with a smirk, "I am gonna give him so much crap the next time I see him. A threesome with his partner and his weapons instructor, it's like the plot to a fucking hentai!"

"But it made complete sense at the time," defended Rifana, "Figneria said we'd succeeded in conquering a country and were facing the possibility of dying in the wave the next day, so what better time was there? Sure it was weird having another person share such an intimate moment with us but I still enjoyed it and I'd-I enjoyed it." A sudden thought occurred to the weasel girl which she'd innocently neglected to consider.

"Look it's not really a big deal to be honest," said Naofumi, "what you guys do in your party is your business. I just find it surprising that Darius actually went the whole nine yards with both of you."

"It is a little surprising I'll admit, but what about you and Raphtalia," said Rifana, "I've found it continually surprising that you haven't so much as kissed her on the cheek, or have you two gone all the way behind our backs as well?"

"What, no," said a now somewhat flustered Naofumi, "that's not something party members just do."

"How do you know?" Questioned Rifana, "I personally think you could learn a thing or two from Darius in this instance. After all you travel with an exceptionally attractive girl who'd jump on you if you'd just give her the go ahead."

"That's crazy," said the Shield Hero, "Raphtalia doesn't feel that way about me."

"Why wouldn't she?" Questioned the weasel girl, "you rescued her from slavery, fed her and clothed her, taught her to fight and aside from the occasional bit of rudeness you've more or less shown her nothing but kindness and respect ever since the two of you met. A better question would be how could she not feel something for you?"

"And you're basing all of this information off of what, exactly?" Questioned the Shield Hero with a raised eyebrow.

"If you recall I was in the exact same circumstances as my friend when Darius rescued me," said Rifana. "I was given a second chance at life thanks to him. Because of Darius I got the opportunity to become strong enough to protect others and the world. Ever since the day I met him, Darius has been nothing but kind and caring towards me and his eyes never show a glimmer of disapproval about who I am now. Even when I was covered in blood, even though I'm a demi-human, and even despite the fact that I no longer exhibit what many consider to be 'womanly charms', Darius still sees me as a beautiful person. On top of all that, he gave me something I thought I'd never have since becoming a warrior, he made me a woman. I owe everything to him and you could afford to tell him thank you every now and then as well."

"I have thanked him at least once or twice," said Naofumi.

"I mean really thanked him," said Rifana, "Darius is too nice to point it out but you've only ever really said thanks when he does something exceptionally useful for you. You never once said 'thank you for being the first to believe me' or 'thank you for being my friend and sticking with me despite the whole kingdom being against us' or even 'thanks for fighting alongside me to quell the waves.' I know you have some enormous trust issues but what more does he have to do to prove to you that he's genuine, name the country he recently liberated after you?"

"Okay, okay I get it," groaned the Shield Hero, "clearly I have some issues to work out that I didn't realize needed working out, is that what you want to hear right now?"

"I just want you to think about a few things," said Rifana with a smirk, "after all, this little talk has helped me realize a couple things too. So we'd best hurry and meet up with the others because I need to talk a few things over with my partner." She continued to walk along happily until she felt a tug on her armor. The weasel girl looked over and remembered that Melty and Johann were also there, and the second princess was clearly blushing from hearing their earlier conversation. As for Johann, he had only one question.

"Rifana," he said with a tilt of his head, "what's a threesome?"

Unknown Melromarc Forest: At about the Same Time

The Armory Hero had to admit that he sometimes forgot that Raphtalia's brute strength, while not equal to Rifana's, very much belied her build. In this instance he was reminded of just how strong she was because said raccoon girl was holding him off the ground by the section of cape around his neck. "Do you have any idea what you might've done?" Questioned Raphtalia.

"Figneria assured us that it couldn't happen yet," said Darius, "She even lent us a potion before we left in case we wanted to, you know, try it again."

"Again!" Raphtalia nearly shouted as the blush on her face got even redder, "You can't just do something like that so carelessly, otherwise I would've already, I mean I-."

"Would've done the same with Naofu-UUUUF!" The Armory Hero's comment had quickly been cut off by the raccoon girl shoving him against a tree. She was shaking her head in a rather embarrassed fashion, whether it was in denial or not he wasn't sure, but it was obvious she did not want him finishing that sentence. "Geez, what do you want me to say, that I regret giving my first time to your extremely beautiful best friend and my hot teacher? Let's be honest here, none of us exactly have the same luxury of time as everyone else because we're fighting to save the world."

"But we should still do this sort of stuff right," said Raphtalia, "you and her haven't even been out on a proper date."

"But we have been by each other's side almost as long as I've been in this world," said Darius, "we may not have been on a proper date but we've shared time together and learned about each other, enough to the point that we might actually like each other. Tell me, if we all did die tomorrow what would you regret most? That you did something a little embarrassing or that you didn't at least try to show the one you care for how you feel?" Raphtalia paused at his question, loosening her grip to the point where the Armory Hero slipped from her grasp against the tree.

"I, I don't know," Raphtalia finally said, "I know where my heart is, but I don't know if what I feel is mutual."

"I could say the same," said Darius, "yes Rifana and I gave each other our first time, but we still need to figure out if we did that out of our feelings for each other or just so we wouldn't have regrets the next day. The only thing I know for sure is, my teacher is very persuasive."

"I think I understand what you mean," said Raphtalia, "perhaps she could help me with my own dilemma in the future."

"Well let's work on getting through this dilemma first," said the Armory Hero as he dusted himself off before starting back down the trail with the others behind him.

"So what did Darius do exactly?" Questioned Filo to Rishia, "Master sleeps in the same room with us all the time. Is that what you're supposed to do after kissing, because Master hasn't kissed either of us?"

"Oh, well, you see," said Rishia nervously, "when two people really like one another they-."

"Don't you dare," Raphtalia and Darius both called back, causing Rishia to jump with a quick 'eep.' Conversation steered very far from that particular topic for the rest of the journey.

Grounds outside the Reichnott Manor

"Well this is it, right?" Questioned Naofumi as he and the rest of his group looked out over the fields of a mansion with a green roof and a few spires. Strangely enough, the Shield Hero had noted a large presence of demi-humans in the region and among the workers in this particular field. According to Melty, this region had been home to a noble who'd been trying to build good relations with demi-humans.

"It is indeed," confirmed Melty, "with luck, Lord Reichnott should be around at this hour."

"Now all we need is for-what was that?" Asked the Shield Hero as they all turned around to face a possible threat emerging from the bushes. It was a tense moment as the foliage parted to reveal, Darius?

"Wo, sorry about that," said Darius as he held his hands up, "I forgot we're all still a bit jumpy right now."

"DARIUS!" cheered Rifana and Johann as they tackled the Armory Hero to the ground with a group hug. Filo also rushed over and hugged Naofumi.

"It's good to see that you're all okay," said Raphtalia as she restrained herself from tackling Naofumi.

"It's good to see you're both alright as well," said Naofumi, "And Darius, thanks for looking after them."

"Hey no problem its-did you just say thank you?" Questioned the Armory Hero.

"Yeah I did, what's the issue?" Replied the Shield Hero.

"Nothing," said Darius, "I'm just not used to hearing you say it is all. But I should also be thanking you for keeping Rifana and Johann safe too."

"Don't mention it. By the way, how'd you wind up dragging Rishia into all of this," asked Naofumi as he indicated the green-haired girl.

"Oh, it was my own decision really," said Rishia sheepishly, "I didn't want Sir Itsuki and Sir Darius fighting, so I cast earth magic and opened a hole under the Bow Hero. I've been tagging along ever since."

"Well as long as you're with us you're a fugitive," said Naofumi, "so you'd best be sure this is what you want." Rishia hesitated for a moment but nodded her head in understanding.

"Alright, now that we're all here I guess we knock on the door and say hello," commented Darius as he headed for the forest edge.

"Let's hold up for just a moment," said Naofuim as he leaned against a tree to get a better view of the manor, "I know he helped you last time, but you weren't a fugitive from the kingdom then. We need to make sure we can trust this guy first before we do anything."

"That is a good assumption Sir Hero," said a voice from behind them as everyone turned around to see said glasses wearing nobleman standing right there with his trademark friendly smile on his face. The Shield Hero moved to a fighting stance along with Raphtalia and Filo but stopped when Darius and Rifana both put a hand out in front of them.

"Lord Reichnott, it's good to see that you are doing well," said Melty with a friendly smile.

"It is even better to see you are still in good health Princess Melty," replied Reichnott with a bow, "And dear Rifana and Sir Darius, it is wonderful to see the both of you again."

"How's the mansion grounds been since we took out those monsters?" Asked Darius in a friendly tone.

"My farmers have never felt safer," replied Reichnott, "and before I forget my manners I must also bid a warm welcome to you and your party as well Sir Shield Hero." Naofumi didn't respond but he did relax his stance along with Raphtalia. "But of course this is no place to hold a conversation. Let us head up to the house, we have much to discuss." No argument was voiced out loud to this request as the group followed the nobleman into his house. Unbeknownst to any of them, a figure in a black robe was watching from a distance, and he was not one of the Queen's shadows but a man with malicious intentions hidden behind his currently smirking face.

**Our heroes have escaped one set of pursuers, but it seems another is still on their trail and he does not have their best interests in mind! But we'll learn about that later, for now I'd like to say hello again to everyone. I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes learn the state of the region ever since Rabier's death, and for a number of Jurassic Park quips. 'Til then.**


	19. Return of the Winged Queen

**Return of the Winged Queen**

**Welcome everyone to the latest chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero. Now for some guest reviews: to Jason Wu- Don't worry, I've got a few fun moments planned for how Rishia's eventually gonna deal with Itsuki and his party's bullshit. And to our other guest reviewer: that what he be sayin'. Now then, onto the story!**

Mansion of Lord Van Reichnott

"So fleeing from Melromarc's forces is what brought you all to my domain," surmised Reichnott as he gazed out of one of the many windows of the dining room at the setting sun. It was exactly as Darius and Rifana remembered it. A large yet simple room with white walls and a wood floor decorated with numerous pictures. Currently, the only one standing was Reichnott himself while everyone else was seated at a rather long rectangular table. "According to the knights the forest fire from yesterday evening was started by you, Sir Shield Hero, in order to cover your tracks and aid in your escape. Would you call that story accurate in anyway?"

"It's a complete and utter lie," Naofumi almost spat with his arms crossed, "I can already tell you without a doubt that the first princess is behind that occurrence."

"I thought as much," said Reichnott as he turned to face everyone else, "and I know Darius and Rifana already vouch for you so it must be the truth. In fact it was my suspicions of these reports that led me to patrol the grounds out of concern for Princess Melty, hence why you found me outside of the mansion earlier."

"You must feel a lot safer if you're patrolling the grounds yourself," said Darius as he leaned back in his chair a bit.

"Indeed," replied Reichnott, "You two will have to tell me about running into Figneria later, but for now I imagine you're all exhausted." The nobleman signaled for a pair of maids to enter the room each pushing a cart of food for everyone. "Please eat as much as you like and take whatever time you need to rest up here for a while."

"Oh that looks so yummy," said Filo as she and Johann gazed at the meal that was laid out on the table before them, "can we eat master, please?"

"Not yet," said Naofumi sternly, "we need to make sure-Oh come on guys."

"What," said Darius as he swallowed some of the food, "I told you before we can trust this guy. Rifana and I got a pretty good read on him after spending a week training here. Oh and the food's not poisoned, I already used a detection skill to check that."

"But you told me it had its limits and-," Naofumi's protest was cut short as the nobleman took a bite of the food himself.

"Ah, exquisite as always," said Reichnott with his trademark friendly smile, "I can assure you Sir Hero the food isn't poisoned. Even if you don't take my word for it surely you can believe Darius's observation."

"That means it's time to eat!" Exclaimed Johann as he and Filo went to pick up their food by hand.

"Where are your manners?" Scolded Raphtalia, "Use your utensils to eat."

"Grr, fine," said the two of them as they picked up their forks and knives to eat at a much slower pace than they would've liked.

"It is really quite rude to cast such doubt on our host's gracious hospitality," commented Melty as she ate some of her food in the dignified manner of a royal.

"Well we're not gonna be hanging around that long anyway," said Naofumi as he finally took a bite of his food.

"But we just got here," said Rishia, who'd been rather quiet throughout the whole exchange, "We need to at least rest a little first."

"We'll be heading out at dawn tomorrow," informed Naofumi, "that should be more than enough time for us to rest."

"But why do we need to head out that soon?" Questioned a surprised Melty between bites.

"Because staying too long will only increase our chances of being caught," Darius answered for Naofumi, "It's very likely those poorly drawn wanted posters have already been circulated through the nearby villages around here and the soldiers are still looking for us."

"Well I am aware but I'd hoped we'd get to rest at least a little longer," said the second princess in disappointment.

"It's interesting to see you like this," said Reichnott to Melty, "You normally have such a mature attitude but it seems a bit different now. Perhaps a result of you traveling with the Shield and Armory hero's parties?"

"What! What are you saying?!" Questioned the second princess as she became incredibly flustered.

"I think he's saying you're behaving a little childishly," quipped Naofumi.

"You be quiet!" Ordered Melty as she actually stood up in her seat.

"Just keep it down, we're trying to eat," replied the Shield Hero as he kept his eyes on his food.

"And whose fault is that?!" Melty shot back as she and the Shield Hero continued this line of banter for a few minutes. Raphtalia sighed at this while everyone else more or less ignored it.

"Has it been like this ever since you saved the princess?" whispered Rishia to Rifana.

"Pretty much," said the weasel girl with a shrug, "but it's kind of like Johann and Filo. You just learn to tune it out eventually."

"I see," said Rishia with a nervous smile as she noticed that said mounts were currently both eyeing a large slab of meat on the table. Darius would have to make an apology to the maids about the mess once dinner was over. After that, Reichnott began leading them to where they'd be staying for the night.

"So I've been meaning to ask," said Rifana as the group approached the stairs, "how have the others been?"

"Ah, you must mean your other friends that Darius rescued," said Reichnott, "you'll be pleased to know that-DARIUS!" The question was answered for him as everyone looked up at some of the railing by the stairs to see three demi-human children dressed in new clothes waving from above.

"Hey you three how's life be-UUUUFFF?!" The Armory Hero got the answer to that question when the three children leapt over the railing, two of whom basically tackled him to the ground while the wolf boy, Keel, landed in Rifana's arms.

"We heard you've been fighting monsters," said one of the girl demi-humans sitting on top of him. A cat demi named Mia if Darius recalled correctly.

"Have you met the other heroes, what are they like?!" Asked the other girl, a rabbit demi known as Len.

"And who the heck are these guys?" Questioned Keel as Rifana set him down.

"I don't believe it," said Raphtalia as she stepped towards the three of them, "It's true, you're all okay."

"Well of course we are," said Mia with a confused expression on her face.

"Darius rescued us after all," added Len who was also at a loss for what was going on.

"I suppose it would be a bit hard for you all to recognize me right now," said the raccoon girl as she wiped the tears of joy from her eyes, "it's me, Raphtalia."

"What, that can't be," said Keel, "Raphtalia's the same age as all of us."

"I've had to grow up fast recently," she replied while kneeling down, "do you remember Keel, when you nearly drowned while diving once and I had to get Sedeena to pull you out of the water? Or the time you ate that poisonous mushroom and wound up with an upset stomach? You were also the first one to speak out in support for me when I said I wanted to rebuild the village, do you remember that?" It took a moment, but recognition finally dawned in the eyes of the three demi-humans.

"R-Raphtalia," said Keel in disbelief, "It can't be, it's, it's really you!" The wolf boy ran to his friend and hugged her then. He was quickly followed by Len and Mia as the four of them shared a group hug with happy tears streaming from their eyes.

"Thank you Darius," said Mia as she turned to the Armory Hero, "thank you for saving her."

"If you want to thank anyone, thank Naofumi," said Darius as he sat up and pointed to his friend, "He got her away from the slave merchant. And to answer your question about meeting the other heroes the answer is yes, I have met the rest of them. This guy happens to be the current Shield Hero."

"That's so cool!" cheered Keel as he and his two friends rushed at the cardinal hero.

"No wait!" Naofumi tried to say but was too late as he was tackled to the floor by three laughing kids. "A little help here guys."

"It appears we've finally found the Shield Hero's true weakness," quipped Rifana, "large groups of children." Everyone else proceeded to laugh at this while the Shield Hero frowned from beneath the three young demi-humans. It would take a minute or two before they finally got him off the floor.

Large Guest Room: Some Time Later

Raphtalia decided to go with her friends, plus Johann and Filo, after a bit in order to catch up with them, but not before urging Naofumi to get some rest. It took some convincing but he agreed after Rishia promised to keep watch from the window. This left Darius and Rifana to their own devices as the two of them decided to sleep in the next room for a bit. When asked why, the weasel girl simply replied that it felt nostalgic was all. Though there was another reason, one the two partners had been meaning to get to for some time.

"It's good that Raphtalia finally got to see Keel and the others after all this time," said Rifana as she sat down on one of the beds, "She'd always deny it but I could tell it was at the back of her mind even despite the numerous times I assured her they were all okay."

"After all of the bad news we've been getting lately it's a nice change of pace," said Darius who was seated on the bed right next to hers, "maybe if we keep at it something else good will happen."

"Speaking of something good, well, I think we'd best talk about this now while we've got a moment," said Rifana as she turned to face him, "It's about what we did in Koteraan."

"Yeah that," said Darius as he rubbed the back of his neck somewhat nervously, "I guess the first thing I should really do is apologize for being such a-."

"Don't," said Rifana with a stern look, "I know what you're going to say, that you were weak and gave into Figneria's demands. But the truth is I'm just as much to blame because I didn't say no either. The fact of the matter is we chose to do what we did that night with our teacher and no matter how much I think about it I really have no regrets over the whole thing."

"But Rifana I took away your first time," said Darius, "what should've been an intimate moment for you and someone you love is now gone because of me and Figneria."

"And why in the world wouldn't I want to get intimate with you?" Questioned Rifana. "Figneria spoke the truth that night and the latest wave made it even clearer: our time could be up well before we know it. Because of that we should try to enjoy what little moments we can, but that's not the reason why I finally gave in. No, the truth is I wanted it to be you that I gave my first time to even before Figneria suggested it."

"But why me?" Questioned Darius, "A girl like you could have any guy she wanted so why-?"

"Because you're not just 'any guy'!" exclaimed Rifana. "You watched me stab a man to death and didn't flinch, you hardly bat an eye when I have to smash someone's head in and you've never once looked at me like I'm some blood thirsty monster. You've seen the real me countless times, a broken little girl whose feelings are all over the place yet you continue to show me nothing but kindness and respect. I have a purpose in life now because of you and I wouldn't think twice about sacrificing it to save you, Johann and all the others. I know that while my body is practically an adult's my mind is still a lot like a child's and it's possible I'm mistaking what I feel as something else." She proceeded to hug herself as she continued.

"But I know one thing," she said, "that night you made a woman out of me was the most enjoyable night of my life and I'd do it again even if Figneria was there along with me, heck, I wouldn't mind if she brought Rishia along the second time around!"

"Wow," said Darius, blushing thanks to the image his partner had just put in his head, "I honestly don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want too," said Rifana as she put her hands on Darius's, "I know that even if we defeat all of the waves you might still have to go home. What I don't know is if you can take me with you or if you can choose to stay here so even trying to have a relationship of any kind could be pointless. So if you're willing, could you take me here? Even if this is the last time we ever do this, I'll still be happy in the end."

Darius seemed doubtful for a moment as he moved his left hand out from under hers. But then he cupped her cheek and gave her his answer by moving in to plant a kiss on her soft lips. Rishia would pick a very bad time to walk by the door that night after changing watch with Raphtalia.

The Next Morning

"So is it true that you fought a thunderbird," asked Keel as they all sat in the dining room having breakfast, "or that zombie dragon, what about it? Come to think of it Johann said something about fighting a soul eater on a floating pirate ship!"

"All true," said the Armory Hero as he took a sip from his cup of milk, "though it was Naofumi's group that took on the zombie dragon. Rifana, Johann and I were in Koteraan at the time getting smacked down by a Leshen."

"No way, some of those are still around," said Mia, "I heard most of them were wiped out or sealed by the previous heroes."

"Some ding bat decided it was a good idea to unseal this one," said Johann with his mouth full.

"I still can't believe that the two of you were hatched from eggs," said Len, "what's that even like?"

"Can't really remember," Replied Filo, "the first thing I saw when I was born was Master's face and then I jumped right on his head." The two little girls let out an 'awe' at this while Johann and Keel made gagging noises.

"I'm just happy you've all been doing well," said Raphtalia, "the one thing I couldn't quite believe was seeing all of you out of that awful mansion."

"Speaking of which," said Darius, "Figneria told me your little auction on the place went quite well."

"I managed to contact some friends in time to keep things from getting out of hand," replied Reichnott with a tip of his glasses, "after all it's usually big news when a nobleman dies and also a chance for other nobleman to move in on property with no clear owner. Fortunately, one of my friends was in the market for a mansion as his had been damaged in the first wave. With the help of his own hired guards and a couple of threats from Figneria we were able to pull off a peaceful transaction with all of the parties involved."

"So it was you that ended Rabier's reign after all," said Melty to Darius, "there was a lot of speculation surrounding who the mystic weapons wielder was when the news reached me and mother."

"I did it to save all of them," replied Darius as he indicated all of the demi-humans present, "though I wasn't quick enough to get to Raphtalia before she was shipped off. It was only by pure chance that Naofumi happened to be in the market for some help at the time that she was rescued."

"And I've had no reason to regret it so far," commented Naofumi, "It was only thanks to her that I even made it to the second wave to begin with. Though if we're gonna make it to the next day we'd best get going soon."

"Umm, Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia sheepishly, "could I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it?" Questioned the Shield Hero without looking up from his food.

"I'd, well, I'd like to venture over to the next town and see the mansion," said Raphtalia.

"Why on earth would you want to go back there?" Questioned Rifana, voicing the opinion of just about everyone else at the table.

"Call it closure I guess," said Raphtalia with a sigh, "I just want to see with my own eyes that it's no longer a place of torment."

"I don't see a problem with that," said Reichnott, getting a few confused looks, "It just so happens I'd planned a visit there today to see what my friend has done with the place. Apparently he's decided to get creative with some of the extra space it has."

"And just how would we get in there without being spotted?" Questioned Naofumi, "Need I remind you we're still on the wanted list."

"That should be simple enough," said Reichnott, "I happen to have a couple wagons of wine I was going to deliver to him with my visit. His guards know me so they won't search them as long as I'm with you. Not to mention I imagine the king's soldiers have already searched that particular town and won't be expecting you to head over that way." The Shield Hero put a hand to his chin in thought. It made sense in a way and he did say they needed to keep moving. Plus, if the guards had already searched that area what reason would they have to suspect a nobleman like Reichnott would be smuggling them in.

"Alright," he finally said, bringing a smile to Raphtalia's face, "but the moment there's trouble we're hightailing it, understood."

"Right," said Raphtalia with a happy expression at her Master's decision. No one else had any objections to going there either so it was decided that their destination would be the next town over.

That Night: Town of Nautilus Whittaker

Getting everything together and organized took a bit longer than expected and Reichnott's wagons had to move at a regular pace so as not to arouse suspicion from any potential knights who might happen to be on the road. It wound up being a much slower ride than when Darius had escaped with the children in a wagon. But eventually the group arrived at the town which the Armory Hero noted for the first time was actually rather nice now that he wasn't worried about his present company with clean streets and red roofs as far as the eye could see.

Their nobleman guide also had to make the occasional stop to greet a friend or acquaintance along the way. It seemed Van Reichnott was not only well-known and liked in his own town but this one as well. Of course the friendly atmosphere didn't stop them from peeking out of the wagon every now and then to insure there wasn't any trouble nearby. At one point Darius was worried they'd been spotted when he saw Raphtalia's tail tense after looking outside.

But what she was really looking at was the former mansion of Rabier as they ascended the path to the stone wall surrounding it. "Ah, Lord Reichnott," said the guard at the gate with a friendly tone, "Master Whittaker mentioned you might be stopping in today."

"Indeed," replied the noble with his only friendly smile, "I happened to have some extra wine with me. Ever since that auction I've had plenty of money to splurge on and wound up buying more wine than I know what to do with. Is Lord Whittaker here now by chance?"

"Indeed he is," replied the guard as he opened the gate, "you've also come at a good time, he's finished up giving tours for now so he should be able to see you right away."

"You have my thanks Anthony and try not to work too hard now," replied Reichnott as he guided the wagon inside. The group waited a moment for him to park before filing out.

"Wow, this place feels way different from last time," noted Darius as he looked around the walls. The guard presence was only half of what it had been while Rabier was in charge and what was more, there seemed to be a number of common folk, both human and demi-human, wandering around between the buildings.

"Yes, Whittaker and I talked at length about what should be done with this place," explained Reichnott. "In the end we decided to open it to the public as an Inn of sorts. It serves both humans and demi-humans at a reasonable rate and with so much space it allows for separate sleeping areas for both the guards and servants while also allowing the lord to govern the town from the main office. What's more, in times of emergency it can be used to house much of the townsfolk who can't defend themselves, an idea which has proven rather popular with the people of this region."

"I take it this Whittaker guy is liked a lot more by the townsfolk than the last owner," commented Rifana as they began walking through the courtyard. Rifana and Raphtalia both had cloth blankets to hide their heads while Filo and Johann wore large cloaks to conceal their wings. Melty wore a long cape and a hat which hid her twin tails. Naofumi simply pulled his hood up and hid his shield within his cape while Darius changed his white cape to a blue shoulder coat with a large matching hat that concealed his face to a degree as long as he kept it tilted forward.

As the group proceeded towards the main house, Raphtalia suddenly stopped by one of the arches, recognizing where she was currently standing. Rifana and Darius also recognized the location as the former entrance to the dungeon where Rabier had kept the children for his own demented pleasure. "This is it, isn't it?" Asked the raccoon girl with a solemn look on her face. Where there had once been a staircase was now a sealed off section of the ground, the only indication of which being that the stone used to cover it was clearly newer than the rest of the surrounding stones.

"Rifana and her friends told me everything when Darius first brought them to my mansion," explained Reichnott with the first somber tone anyone had ever heard him use. "When I saw it for myself there was little left of Rabier down there that the rats hadn't gotten too. At the time I thought a man who'd raise his hand to torment innocent children for his own personal pleasure was not worth respecting. So mine and Whittaker's first order was to have this place sealed with his remains in it. Now they're only purpose is to be walked upon by the very demi-humans he'd brought so much harm too."

"I see," said Raphtalia as she knelt down to feel the new stone with her hand, "then it's over. It's really over for good, no one else will suffer because of this person." She stood back up then with a sad smile on her face. "Thank you Master Naofumi, thank you all for putting up with such a selfish request."

"If it helps you sleep better at night it's worth it," said the Shield Hero, "just try to focus a bit more on the future from here on out."

"I will," said the raccoon girl with a nod as her smile became broader and her eyes filled with determination.

"Is that you Van?" Came an unfamiliar voice as a man with long grey hair wearing simple yet elegant blue robes walked towards them.

"Nautilus my old friend how are you," greeted Reichnott as they shook hands, "I hope my arrival was at a good time."

"A perfect time actually," said Whittaker with a friendly smile, "we're in the middle of making dinner right now and some extra wine would be perfect for the occasion. By the way, who are these mysterious fellows you've brought with you?"

"Why these two right here," said Reichnott as he indicated Darius and Rifana, "are the ones that made all of this possible."

"You mean the Armory Hero and the mace girl Figneria trained," said Whittaker as he stepped forward and looked at the two of them. "You two realize you're in a lot of trouble right now I hope, what's going on out there?"

"If you'll allow me a moment to explain Lord Whittaker," said Melty as she stepped forward and removed her hat, "there's been a grave misunderstanding about the current circumstances."

"P-Princess Melty," said the surprised nobleman as he backed up a couple steps.

"I do apologize for our intrusion," said Melty in her most upper class sounding tone of voice, "but the situation has forced me to flee with both the Shield and Armory Heroes as my trusted bodyguards. I assure you none of what you've heard about my supposed kidnapping is in any way the truth."

"Goodness Reichnott," said Whittaker, "It's been a long while since you've brought this much trouble to my door."

"We just need some supplies and a place to rest for the night," said Naofumi, "we'll leave early in the morning so we won't draw any attention."

"Well it's not like I can turn all of you away now that you've walked through my front door," said Whittaker, "and I've said myself I'd like to share a drink with the man who killed that fat bastard Rabier."

"I had planned on killing him on the way out," said Darius, "but Rifana beat me to it so she's the one to share a drink with."

"Well then I'll toast to the both of you," said Whittaker, "Now come along, we'd best get moving before the servants start wondering what's keeping us." Everyone nodded in agreement as they followed the nobleman through the courtyard. As the group walked along, Raphtalia happened to glance at the large marble obelisk that dominated the center of the courtyard.

"Master Naofumi," she said, "I'm not certain but I think I sense, illusion magic."

"Illusion magic?" Repeated the Shield Hero as he turned to his companion, "Why in the world would someone be using illusion magi-."

"DEVIL OF THE SHIELD!" boomed a man's voice from seemingly out of nowhere as it echoed around the courtyard. In the next instant a man in a black robe appeared right next to the obelisk as he ended his illusion spell and spoke his next words. "How fortuitous of you to come here of all places! For within this structure lies a beast sealed by the previous heroes for centuries! Now in the name of God I whose will this must be I shall unseal it to trample your evil for good!"

"Oh not this shit again," exclaimed Darius as he and everyone else tossed off their disguises and made to charge forward.

"Come forth great dragon and devour the evil ones!" Shouted the man as he raised up the three heroes rosary. The obelisk reacted by giving off a brilliant flash of purple energy before the stone cracked and exploded, firing a beam of light into the air. A roar erupted from the newly formed crater as a massive creature emerged from it, standing atop two enormous hind legs. "Tremble in fear because your judgment is at h-AAAAAAAGH!"

The church mage's final words were cut short as he was quickly and very ironically devoured by the very monster he'd unleashed, giving Rifana and Darius a bit of déjà vu in the process. "What in the world is that thing?" Questioned a stunned Naofumi as the monster stepped forward.

"Well you remember Jeff Goldblum's line about chaos theory," quipped Darius, "I think that's what's happening right now." The reason he said this was because said monster looked like a fuckin' black t-rex with two rows of spikes on its back, red eyes and a type of 'x' shaped head piece right above its nose. And as it opened its mouth to unleash a roar so powerful it created a blast of wind, they noted it also had extra-long, extra sharp teeth.

"That's the tyrant dragon that was sealed by the previous cardinal heroes," explained Reichnott, "and he just unleashed it onto the world again."

"Evacuate everyone from here now!" Ordered Darius as he summoned as many chains as he could to bind the dragon's feet and keep it from moving. This only served to aggravate the creature as it thrashed about, swinging its tail into a nearby structure and destroying the wall with practically no effort. Rifana, Rishia, and Johann all fired their own spells at the dragon but the impact hardly seemed to phase the monster as it managed to yank one foot free from the Armory Hero's chains.

"Stupid lizard!" exclaimed Filo as she transformed and charged at the beast with a powerful kick. But the blow simply bounced off the toughened hide on the T-rex's face, only really succeeding in drawing its attention.

"Blasted bird," cursed Johann as he also transformed and took to the skies. For whatever reason, his arrival seemed to divert the tyrant dragon's attention as he alternated between fire and lightning attacks aimed at whatever looked like a weak spot.

"We can't fight a monster like this in the middle of town," pleaded Melty as it freed its other foot from Darius's chains and rammed into another building head first, just barely missing Filo.

"I know," said Naofumi as he switched to his viper shield, "we need a way to lure it out of the area."

"It seems to like Filo and Johann quite a bit," noted Rifana as they watched the monster continue to pursue their mounts.

"I think it's because of that," said Melty as she pointed her finger at a specific spot on Filo, Johann and the dragon, "their bellies are all glowing purple."

"The crystal fragments of the dragon emperor," said Darius, "Filo and Johann swallowed them some time ago so it must want to consume them for its own."

"Well we have our lure then," said Naofumi as he turned to Reichnott and Whittaker, "get your people to safety while we lead that thing away." The two nobleman nodded in understanding to his order.

"Rishia," said the Armory Hero, "I hate to ask this but help them with the evacuation and healing for the injured."

"But I can help you all fight," said the green-haired girl before Darius held up his hand to stop her.

"I know and I wish we could bring you along," he said, "but the fact of the matter is if we can't stop that thing then someone, and I can't believe I'm saying this, is gonna need to get the other three heroes and you're the only one they might listen too." Rishia clearly saw the logic in this argument, but she was definitely not happy about it. "Hey it's only for a little while, we'll see each other again I'm sure of it." He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he said the last part. After another moment of contemplation the green-haired girl nodded and headed off with Reichnott and Whittaker.

"Alright, time to get out of here," said Naofumi as he and Darius both whistled for their respective mounts. The two responded instantly, breaking off their engagement with the tyrant dragon and landing right next to their owners. Everyone piled on as quickly as they could before taking off over the stone wall surrounding the mansion. The T-rex was right behind them as it simply slammed through the protective structure before leaping down the mountainside after them.

"Life finds a way," quoted the Armory Hero as he and Rifana flew several feet above Filo on Johann, "You know I always thought I'd be more excited about being in a Jurassic Park spin-off."

"Well at least we were right about what it's after," noted Rifana as they sailed through the town over a number of buildings. These too posed little problem for the one pursuing them as it simply crashed through structure after structure without hardly slowing down. By the time the two groups reached the town wall a line of destruction was quite prevalent behind them. The surrounding stone wall which protected the settlement also proved to be no obstacle to the tyrant dragon as it busted through to continue its pursuit of the two mounts.

Darius almost lost sight of Naofumi's group once they entered the forest until he saw what was up ahead. "We've got a clearing coming up with a large lake," he said using his HUD to contact the Shield Hero.

"I guess that's as good a place as any," he replied back as the noise from collapsing trees and roaring sounded behind him. The moment the two parties exited the tree line, Johann landed next to Filo where they let their riders off. "Here it comes, get ready everyone." The unanimous response to this was each person taking a fighting position with a weapon or spell ready to use at a moment's notice.

Hardly a minute later the forest seemed to burst open as the tyrant dragon came charging at them. "Phalanx Wall! Airstrike Shield!" yelled the cardinal heroes as a collection of shields and one large emerald shield materialized to halt the monster's charge. The shockwave from the attack was still felt by everyone as the tyrant dragon's snout rammed into the barriers, cracking and destroying Naofumi's while also breaking a few of Darius's before he returned them to his inventory.

Filo and Johann struck back first as both landed a flying kick to either side of the creature's neck before backing up to attack again with a combination of the dragon boy's fire against the monster's back while the bird girl aimed another kick at its gut. "Zweit Aqua Slash!" called Melty as she produced a powerful stream of water aimed at their opponent's face. Raphtalia and Rifana attacked next as each rushed in and hit it on either side of its right ankle. Against most other monsters such a barrage would've had them howling in pain, but the tyrant dragon took each blow in turn and seemed to just shrug it off.

"Give me a lift Naofumi," said Darius as he finished chanting a spell which opened several portals around the T-rex. The Shield Hero nodded as his comrade charged in with Raisetsu at the ready. "Blizzard Barrage!" The weapons fired from the portals all impacted with a freezing edge, causing small layers of ice to form wherever they hit.

"Airstrike shield!" Called Naofumi as Darius jumped into the air and leapt off the horizontal shield. He did so once more with a second summoned shield before slashing at his target, the throat of the tyrant dragon.

"Lightning Blizzard!" Yelled Darius as his weapon produced an electrified snowstorm at the point of impact while Johann snatched him out of midair before he hit the ground and dropped him next to Naofumi. "Did that work?" He got his answer in the form of an enraged snarl as the beast slammed its foot on the ground, causing all of the formed ice to shatter. It's crashing blow also produced a thunderous shockwave which sent debris in all directions and even shifted the ground into a number of rising obstacles that Raphtalia and Rifana had to maneuver around. The dust kicked up from the ruined earth blocked the cardinal hero's vision for a moment, giving the T-rex an opening to swing its massive tail at the two of them.

"Heads up!" Said Naofumi as both he and Darius used the viper and a replica shield to create a barrier seal to lessen the blow. It succeeded only in keeping them from getting crushed as the appendage slammed through their defenses and sent the two of them flying onto the shore of the lake.

"Darius! Master Naofumi!" Called their companions as they slowed their advance for a moment.

"We're fine, keep at it!" The Armory Hero called back as he and the Shield Hero struggled to their feet. The girls nodded in understanding as they resumed their attacks alongside Filo and Johann.

"We can't keep this up as this rate," noted Naofumi as he put a hand on his shield, "we're gonna have to go for the trump cards Darius."

"It's certainly proving to be stronger than the Leshen or the zombie dragon, so curse series it is," said the Armory Hero as he readied his bands. Then out of nowhere, a voice sounded in both their heads. 'You mustn't,' said the voice causing the confused heroes to look around for the source. "That sounds like, can it really be?"

"Something's wrong," said Melty, getting their attention as a sudden fog rolled in out of nowhere, "This mist, I think it's a high level magic field."

"And just what in the world does that mean for us?" Questioned the Shield Hero as they looked around the shrouded area, "Don't tell me we're trapped in here?" His answer came in the form of several pounding feet as a massive, colorful flock of Filolials suddenly emerged from the forest.

"The heck are all those crazy birds doing?" Questioned Johann as he and Filo regrouped with the rest of them. The mass of large avians had formed into two lines which split off in opposite directions before stopping in a circle, surrounding the tyrant dragon.

"I think they're waiting," said Darius as he suddenly dematerialized his replica shield. "And if I'm right, we're about to see a show."

"You'll forgive me for being impatient about that," said Naofumi as he again tried to activate his rage shield. But just as he opened the menu a message popped up which caused static to cover the ability screen. It read 'transformation jamming.'

"I implore you not to resort to that power," said the voice again, much clearer this time.

"Gah, who in the heck are you?!" exclaimed the Shield Hero in frustration. The response to his and everyone else's wonder came shortly as the wind suddenly picked up and the water in the lake shifted and churned. The center erupted as a massive shape rocketed into the air and landed on the bank several feet in front of the group. Almost everyone's eyes widened in amazement as they gazed at the new arrival, an enormous Filolial with blue feathers on her head resembling a crown.

"YEEEEEEESSSS!" yelled Darius upon seeing the large bird, only just restraining himself from jumping in the air.

"T-That's the Filolial Queen," said a shocked Melty as the towering avian turned towards them and held out her wing.

"Please stay back from this point on," she urged before facing the tyrant dragon.

"Hey I know better than to get between you and a good fight," said Darius with his hands behind his head, "he's all yours."

"Why the heck are you talking like you know her Boss?" Questioned Johann with a tone of disapproval. Before Darius could answer the T-rex charged at the Filolial Queen. But her status was more than just a title as she reared back her leg and countered the charge with a powerful kick that actually sent the dragon sliding backwards.

"Since you've refused to hand over the fragment peacefully, I can only offer you death," said the Filolial Queen as the dragon struck back with a blast of flame from its mouth. "Pitiful." With a wave of her wing, the queen conjured a huge magic circle in the air which dispersed the onslaught of flames as they impacted against the magical barrier. It was only thanks to Darius and Naofumi raising twin airstrike shields that none of their party was burned from the intensity of the attack.

"I'll be finishing this now," stated the queen bird before rocketing forward with her own, vastly more powerful version of High Quick. Due to her size and speed a massive wind was kicked up simply moving past the dragon before several bloody gashes erupted from its body. The tyrant dragon gave one last dying roar before collapsing into the shallows of the pond as the battle came to an end.

Everyone gathered looked on in amazement save for Darius who simply had a knowing smirk on his face as he applauded a bit before stepping towards the feathered queen. "Am I to take it this is the Shield Hero you've allied yourself with?" She asked as she reached down and removed the dragon emperor fragment from the T-rex corpse and deposited if in her feathers.

"The genuine article," said Darius as he stopped near one of her giant feet, "you weren't kidding when you said some folks had warped perceptions about him."

"Indeed," said the queen as she shifted her gaze to Naofumi and the others, "we have much to discuss, but first I should take a form better suited for such a purpose. One moment." The large avian crossed her wings in front of her as her body began to glow blue and shrink down several sizes. By the time the glowing ceased, there was a short, winged girl with silver hair that didn't even reach past her neck standing before all of them. And she looked exactly as Darius remembered her.

"Ladies and gentleman," said the Armory Hero as she unfolded her wings, "I give you the Queen of all Filolials, her highness Fitoria."

"Pleased to meet all of you," said Fitoria as she opened her eyes and looked over both parties with a scrutinizing gaze.

"So it really is you," said Melty, "but why are you acting so familiar with Darius?"

"Oh right I never got around to telling some of you," said the Armory Hero as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Fitoria was the first person I met when I arrived here, my first sensei if you will."

"What, first sensei," said Johann, "what the heck does that even mean?"

"I believe he is saying I was his first teacher," explained Fitoria before turning back to Darius, "which reminds me." She suddenly hugged the cardinal hero's waist, burying her head in his stomach. The Armory Hero eventually responded by lightly patting her head. "It's good to see you again Darius." The following reaction of the rest of the group could be summed up in one word: "HUUUUUUUUUUH!"

**At last Fitoria has appeared again, and despite her friendly demeanor now she is going to have some not so nice things to to say about a few certain topics. In other news, I've seen that season four of My Hero Academia has arrived and as such have begun my writing on Hail Storm Vol. 2! I don't have an exact date out for the first chapter's release yet but know that it should be within the next few days. Also, I won't be including the first episode with the camera guy as that whole thing was basically just a recap anyway. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Fitoria puts things in perspective for Naofumi, and makes fun of Johann. 'Til then.**


	20. The Request is Now a Demand

**The Request Is Now a Demand**

**Happy Halloween my fellow readers and today my treat to you, while not terribly scary, is a new chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero! Now for a couple of answers to guest reviews. To Jason Wu: You'll see, she is indeed. To DCDGojira: Hailstorm has it's first chapter out now and will soon have the second one out as well. Now, onto the story!**

Lake Clearing Outside The Town of Nautilus Whittaker: Night Time

In hindsight, Darius shouldn't have been surprised that a few members of their party were, well, surprised. He'd mentioned Fitoria and how she'd taught him to Rifana, Naofumi and Raphtalia but had neglected to really discuss it with Johann, Filo and Melty. Although one thing he'd never mentioned to any of them was his former sensei's occasional displays of affection. That really seemed to catch everyone off-guard, especially Johann and Rifana.

"What the heck boss?!" exclaimed Johann as he waved his fists angrily in the air, "Don't tell me you got lovey dovey with the literal queen of these stupid birds!" Rifana simply crossed her arms and pouted angrily.

"Calm down, it's not like that," said Darius with his hand waving dismissively, "She just felt like greeting me this way."

"Indeed," said Fitoria, "though now I'm afraid I must express my disappointment in you as well."

"Say what n-UUUUUFFF!" Darius was interrupted by a quick and very powerful jab to his stomach. The blow wasn't enough to send him flying, but it still hurt as he clutched his stomach in pain. "What'd I do?"

"Raising a dragon after all I've done for you," said Fitoria in her usual even tone, "I thought I explained to you thoroughly enough that they were awful creatures and what's more you're knowingly raising one with a dragon emperor fragment."

"It was a monster egg lottery," explained Darius in a slight groan, "He could've been anything. But dragon or no he's more than done his job as a member of our party."

"And you're not so great yourself lady!" Johann shot back as Rifana had to restrain him from marching forward.

"I am also disappointed in your use of the curse series," said Fitoria, ignoring the dragon boy's taunts, "though it is also my fault for not warning you about them in the first place. I simply didn't expect the situation would become so dire that you'd actually unlock it."

"Well this world has been full of surprises," said Darius, "anyway I should probably let everyone else introduce themselves."

"Yes, a proper introduction of yours and the Shield Hero's party would be welcome," replied Fitoria as she turned her gaze on the rest of them, "please tell me your names."

"My name is Rifana," said the weasel girl, "It's a pleasure to meet you, though we've got a few things we're gonna need to talk about later." She was giving a friendly smile but Darius could feel the annoyance in her voice as she glanced at him.

"A pleasure as well," said Fitoria, "thank you for helping Darius up to this point."

"Well I'm Johann and as far as I'm concerned you can jump back in that lake from whence you came, or better yet, drown in it."

"Charming as expected," said Fitoria with sarcasm that was obvious even coming out of her mouth.

"Nafoumi Iwatani," said the Shield Hero to which the Filolial queen replied with a quick 'I see.' Raphtalia and Filo also introduced themselves, though for whatever reason Fitoria only nodded at Filo's greeting.

"And we've met before I take it," said the winged girl when she got to Melty.

"Yes, I am Melty Melromarc," said the second princess with a bow.

"Sweet Mel, yes I remember," said Fitoria getting a confused look from Melty who hadn't expected such a nickname.

"You know her too?" Questioned Naofumi as he looked down at Melty.

"I met her on the way back to the capital after completing a diplomatic trip," explained Melty.

"So I see," said the Shield Hero as he turned his attention back to Fitoria, "Not that I'm ungrateful for your help or anything but what exactly do you want with us?"

"The answer to that requires something of a lengthy explanation," replied the Filolial Queen, "And this really isn't the best place for a chat. It would be better if we went somewhere more comfortable." She held up her hand as a few of the Filolials parted to reveal a white and blue carriage which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Melty and Filo looked happily at the carriage, likely relieved that they wouldn't have to walk anymore.

"Hold on a second," said Naofumi as he made his way over to the corpse of the tyrant dragon.

"I really don't think it's wise for a cardinal hero to be using dragon material," commented Fitoria.

"It's been a good source for the development of my shield so far," responded Naofumi. "Just getting one of Johann's scales made my defense go up a fair bit."

"Perhaps, but continuing to do so will only add to the ominous aura I sense in your shield," Fitoria said, "As I planned to explain to Darius, the curse series is powerful but requires a high price to wield. I urge you to trust me when I say it isn't worth it."

"Don't worry about," said Naofumi, "I've managed to get it under control."

"For now," Fitoria shot back with slight irritation, "but it will not remain that way for much longer."

"Look I appreciate the concern and all," said Naofumi, "but I've only managed to survive this long because of dragon material and the rage shield." The winged queen wanted to argue more but decided against it with a sigh, telling him to do what he must. "Darius, you'd probably do okay with some too."

"Hey I'm already in trouble here," said the Armory Hero with a shrug, "let's not tempt her generous mood any more if we can avoid it."

"Suit yourself," he said as he went and retrieved a piece of the dragon's flesh and dropped it into the jewel of his shield.

"Now if you're quite finished we need to be going," said Fitoria as everyone else was already assembled in the carriage. Johann was wrinkling his nose as he kept commenting about the smell of rank bird.

"I am but what are we gonna-," Naofumi started to say before Fitoria stopped him with a solution.

"I'll have my family bring the corpse along with us," she said, "Now please get in the wagon. I'll need to ask the both of you some questions when we arrive." The Shield Hero didn't offer any more protest as he did what she asked. Once the two parties were inside, the Filolial Queen held out her hand and spoke a single word. "Portal."

A shining yellow light surrounded them for an instant before fading just as quickly. When they stepped out, the group was no longer at the lake. "Was that instant travel magic?" Questioned Melty

"I think most just call it teleporting," Darius commented.

"Wow, now these are some impressive ruins," noted Naofumi as he looked around at some of the large stone structures covered in vegetation.

"Yep, home sweet home." Said the Armory Hero as he brushed some leaves off of a statue.

"What do you mean by that?" Questioned Rifana as she put a hand on one of the old columns.

"These ruins are where I was summoned to," explained Darius, "the structure I was in was added after the original Armory Hero appeared."

"Your home is a dump," commented Filo before receiving a quick punch in the arm from Johann.

"Supposedly these ruins are what's left of a civilization defended by the original heroes," explained Fitoria, "the tomb of the Armory Hero was added by another group much later."

"You don't sound very sure about any of that," Naofumi pointed out.

"These ruins have been this way since before I was even born," said Fitoria, "but I stand watch over them now."

"That would make this a Filolial sanctuary then," said Melty.

"Correct," affirmed Fitoria, "Ordinarily I am not allowed to bring humans here."

"Which is why you tried to eat me when we first met," remembered Darius, "Or at least step on me."

"Well you'll have to tell us all about it," said Naofumi as his eyes scanned the area, "it looks like we'll be safe here for the moment at least." The sound of Filo and Johann's growling stomachs agreed with that. "So I guess we should take a break and get something to eat while we're at it."

"Yeah!" cheered Filo and Johann as Melty and Rifana agreed that it'd been a long day. Fitoria made no objections as they all divided up the usual tasks with Darius summoning and setting up the pots, pans, bowls and utensils while Rifana and Raphtalia got the cooking fire going. Filo and Johann tore up and carried back large pieces of the tyrant dragon while Melty fetched some water from a well. Naofumi did most of the cooking and before long, the group was all sitting around the fire with a bowl of tyrant dragon soup.

"I hesitate to say how good this soup is on account of present company," said Darius, "Are you sure you're not committing cannibalism right now Johann?"

"Dragons are territorial," explained Johann with his mouth full, "when two get into a fight over something it either ends with one running off or, if they're unlucky, getting killed. No hungry dragon would pass something like that up."

"Speaking of hungry," said Melty as she looked at the gathered Filolials around them, "this is a little awkward."

"I almost feel guilty," said Raphtalia as she took a bite of her own food. Johann simply smiled and began scarfing his down, making a show of enjoying the taste.

"This is surprisingly good," commented Fitoria, who was sitting next to Filo. Despite her mannerisms and no nonsense way of speaking, the Filolial Queen was just as sloppy an eater as Filo and it gave off the impression that the two were sisters in a way.

"Hey Cyrus, Nettle, Pious, Aster, Lily, Brena, Torg," Darius said as he named off and petted a number of the Filolials.

"You learned their names," said a somewhat surprised Rifana with a tilt of her head, "how can you even tell some of them apart besides the color?"

"I only learned a few," replied the Armory Hero, "the bunch I've been naming off were the bravest or most curious ones that liked to hang around while I was training. By the way, they're hungry."

"How can you te-oh," said Naofumi as he noted they were all giving him the big sad eyes that said 'feed us please.'

"And they're not gonna stop until you feed them some of this stuff probably," Darius added. Naofumi simply sighed in frustration before standing up and shouting.

"Fine I'll feed all of you, just bring me the biggest pots you got and all the ingredients you can!" He yelled. The mass of Filolials moved quite quickly then as Darius summoned some of the largest pots he could carry in his inventory. Ordinarily, they used them for emergency aid to feed villages but in this case it would serve just as well to feed a mass of hungry Filolials.

A Short Time Later

As expected, the tyrant dragon soup was a huge hit with the giant ground birds and after eating their fill the large avians had all simply sacked out on whatever part of the ground had room on it. While the sight was cute in a way it made it a little hard to walk around certain parts of the ruins. The rest of their party members had also gone to sleep as soon as the majority of the dishes had been taken care of. All that was left was a bit of tidying up while the Armory Hero returned the pots to his inventory.

"It's just one crazy thing after another in this world," said Naofumi as he wiped a bit of sweat off his brow. "How'd we wind up feeding an entire KFC farm?"

"Given that we're all still breathing right now thanks to their Queen I'd say it was the least we could do," replied Darius as he wiped off the large ladle before returning it to storage. The sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention then as Fitoria came strolling into view atop one of the stone walls.

"I hope you didn't come for seconds," said Naofumi, "we're fresh out on this end."

"It's not an issue I'm full enough," replied Fitoria in a business-like tone, "but I would like to have our promised discussion now." Darius nodded and signaled to Naofumi to follow after her as she turned and began walking along the wall. The cardinal heroes were on either side of her as she held her arms out like a child keeping their balance. It would've been cute if Darius didn't know she was being completely serious right now. "I'd like to know how it is that monster was released."

"You mean you didn't sense it in the area?" Questioned the Armory Hero.

"I sensed both of you and the monster," replied Fitoria, "but that was not why I originally came. You see I was told that a candidate for the next Filolial Queen was there."

"You mean Filo is the candidate to be the next queen," questioned Naofumi. Fitoria responded with a simple 'yes' to this inquiry. "Actually I've been wondering something, how come Filo's growing so differently and so much bigger than other Filolials?"

"She's like me," Fitoria replied as she nimbly jumped a gap in the stone wall.

"What do you mean like you?" Asked the Shield Hero.

"Fitoria here was raised by a cardinal hero," explained Darius, "that's also how she knew the previous Armory Hero."

"So you really are over two centuries old," said Naofumi with a hand on his chin.

"Yes, now please explain to me why that monster was released?" Said Fitoria as she hopped off the stone wall onto the ground and continued down a cobblestone road.

"Long story short, a dickhead mage from the Three Heroes Church released it in an attempt to kill us," explained Darius. "We're actually on the run from Melromarc's forces right now due to being framed for Melty's kidnapping." The Filolial Queen let out a long sigh at this.

"Simply appalling," she said, "And I suppose you have an explanation for why you and the other cardinal heroes are fighting?"

"Well that's because," Darius tried to find the right words to explain the situation.

"Because," urged Fitoria. The Armory Hero was fairly certain she wouldn't much approve of any explanation he gave so he decided to simply come out and say it.

"Assholes," he said, "assholes everywhere. The King is an asshole, his eldest daughter's an asshole, pretty much everyone we've met from the Three Heroes church, assholes. As for the other cardinal heroes, well, let's just sum it up like this. Ren: stoic asshole, Itsuki: glory hole, Motoyasu: Stupid asshole and it's all culminated into the current flaming shit pile we currently have right now."

"And you should all be ashamed," stated Fitoria with a disapproving expression on her face, "squabbling while the next wave approaches, it's disgraceful."

"Hey they started this whole mess, not us," said Naofumi defensively.

"The Shield Hero has always been at odds with the human supremacist countries," Fitoria said without turning around.

"Then you should already know why we've got to cross the border to-," the Shield Hero started to say before being cut off.

"Fleeing to another country will not solve anything," she said before finally turning to face them, "you need to work out your differences. The humans and demi-humans may be able to waste time hating each other but the cardinal heroes cannot fight amongst themselves." Naofumi looked to his comrade for help but Darius simply sighed, recognizing his old sensei's tone that invited no argument. So he simply signaled for him to keep following after her as the three of them sat down on some of the ruins with their feet dangling over the edge.

"You should all know about the hourglass," said Fitoria as she began stacking some small stones next to her into a small tower. "I know I've explained it to Darius once already."

"You mean the dragon's hourglass right? Yeah we know about it." Stated Naofumi, mostly looking for confirmation.

"Then why haven't you been fighting the waves of catastrophe across the world," asked Fitoria with a slight edge to her voice. Naofumi didn't respond as a look of shock appeared in his eyes.

"You can thank king altar boy of Melromarc for that one," said Darius with his chin in his hands, "from what I understand the Queen had planned to have the four cardinal heroes summoned to different countries. But he in his oh so infinite wisdom had the Three Heroes Church try to summon only three out of the four. That plan backfired and is likely the reason I'm here, so then he decided to summon all four heroes to Melromarc himself and naturally neglected to mention that the waves happen all over the world."

"So we've only been fighting on one front this whole time," said Naofumi with a hint of irritation in his voice, "and did you know about this before you met me Darius?"

"I knew the bare bones of it," replied the Armory Hero, "the big concern was finding the four heroes and figuring out what was out of balance enough for me to be summoned along with the rest of you. Turns out, quite a bit."

"If all had gone as it had before, the four heroes would go to one country each and fight the waves of catastrophe," explained Fitoria. "But since you five aren't helping anywhere else, I've been traveling the world whenever I'm asked to defend the countries in your stead."

"And I honestly just found out other countries have their own hourglasses," muttered Naofumi.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not concerned in the slightest what happens to the humans," said Fitoria as she continued slowly stacking one small stone on top of another, "I fight because the hero who raised me asked me to. My job now is to protect the world and keep its people safe." 'I wonder if she was asked or told to defend the people,' thought Naofumi. "But I cannot do this on my own forever, which is why I need the cardinal heroes."

"Given what you did to that dragon you seem a lot more capable than us at the moment," the Shield Hero pointed out.

"For now," said Darius, "need I remind you each wave of catastrophe is worse than the last, so eventually-." He personally didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Eventually I won't be enough," she said as her little rock tower collapsed from one stone too many stacked on it. "Which is why you need to work things out with the other heroes."

"You really think I can just make up with those guys," said Naofumi.

"The cardinal heroes are supposed to work together," repeated Fitoria, "it is crucial if this world is to survive."

"Hate to disappoint you but that's not happening," said Naofumi, "they may not want to kill us but the rest of an entire country does."

"Regardless the heroes must stop fighting each other," urged Fitoria.

"You're obsessing over this a bit, don't ya think," said the Shield Hero.

"It's only natural," said Darius, "and she is right. The world's at stake right now."

"You do realize it's a bit of a lost cause though," Said Naofumi, "none of them wanna play nice with us either."

"You're entirely certain of that," asked Fitoria, almost daring him to say so.

"Yeah I'm certain," Naofumi replied with a tone that held little doubt.

"If you've made up your mind then it really leaves me no choice," said Fitoria as she stood up, "despite living for several lifetimes I don't remember much. But I do remember what I'm to do for a situation such as this. If the four heroes are fighting each other instead of the waves, then I must kill all four of you!"

"Now don't you think that's more than a little much?" Questioned Darius.

"I'll give you until morning to think about what I've said," continued Fitoria, acting as if she hadn't heard him. "You have until then to make a decision."

The Next Day

As the sun rose, so too did the Filolials. And every one of them had an appetite. Now Darius had seen them forage before but after tasting Naofumi's cooking last night it seemed the large birds were more than content to wait on the two parties to whip up another large batch of food for them. It made for a hectic morning before all of them could finally sit down at a large wooden table with benches to eat their own breakfasts. It was especially uncomfortable for Johann as he kept glancing at the Filolials eating from bowls on either side of them. But the Armory Hero hardly noticed as he had his mind on other matters.

Flashback: Last Night

"He really is a stubborn one," said Fitoria after Naofumi had walked out of earshot.

"You gotta cut the guy a little slack," said Darius who'd remained sitting, "he was robbed, betrayed and framed all within the first day and a half after arriving in this world. Traumatized him so bad he can apparently only taste certain foods and has more than a few trust issues. It'd be hard to convince him to work with the others even if things weren't so convoluted right now."

"And what about you?" Questioned Fitoria, "are you unwilling to do what I ask?"

"I've learned it's unwise to say no to you when you're serious," replied the Armory Hero, "I can't make any guarantees but I'll at least give it a try and see what happens."

"Then I have some reassurance," she said before suddenly sitting on Darius's outstretched leg, "so, tell me about Rifana and Johann."

"Oh, well I met Rifana right after you sent me on my way," explained Darius as he scratched his cheek a bit, "we actually were visiting the mansion where she and Raphtalia were imprisoned when that tyrant dragon was released. I helped her escape and then she stabbed the bastard nobleman responsible for her torture to death. After that, she and I got some training from a mercenary woman named Figneria and she convinced me to let her come along."

"She convinced you to do more than that rather recently," noted Fitoria, "her scent is all over you, and vice versa."

"Well yeah we did both get kinda, intimate, last night," replied Darius as he rubbed his head sheepishly.

"It doesn't bother me to such an extent that I'm angry," said Fitoria, "but I would be lying if I said I wasn't the slightest bit jealous. The previous Armory Hero was like family to me and you remind me greatly of him. So of course I'd be somewhat reluctant to see you waltzing around with just any woman."

"I suppose that's fair, I think," said Darius, "what's your impression of her so far?"

"She speaks her mind with little restraint," said Fitoria, "and she also has a good heart. As far as first impressions go, she seems like a decent girl. But your mount, if I should even call him that, is quite rude."

"In all fairness you've been rude to him as well," the Otaku pointed out, "I know dragons and Filolials don't get along but trust me when I say Johann isn't a run of the mill dragon. Sure, he and Filo get into little contests and fights all the time but they've also been able to work together when the time called for it. Johann's also been able to fly us from place to place because he's stronger than any flying dragon I've seen up to this point and while he is greedy at times all he really wants from us in the end is to be fed and cared for. Even after he was injured and sent over a waterfall by a Leshen, he still came back to us."

"You realize of course that if he keeps obtaining dragon emperor fragments that he himself will become the next dragon emperor," said Fitoria, "I fought fiercely and mustered up a large amount of strength to defeat the last one and shatter the core containing its consciousness. With the waves of catastrophe hitting right now it would be disastrous if another one arose."

"But what if he's not an enemy?" Questioned Darius. "The last one probably wasn't being raised by anyone and was simply acting on its destructive instincts. But if Johann is able to keep his current personality even after obtaining the fragments and remembers our group taking care of him then he might fight alongside even you."

"So you're planning on letting him have all the fragments you might find?" Questioned Fitoria with an accusatory tone.

"Of course not," replied Darius as he held his hands up defensively, "Assuming we even find that many I'll still only let him have them if I'm sure he's not gonna turn destructive. So as long as we're careful and keep an eye on him, I don't think there's really that much to worry about." Fitoria seemed to think on it for a moment before answering.

"You know that's something I've always liked about you Darius," she said, "your willingness to see both sides. I feel I should warn you now that I may do something a little, upsetting, tomorrow and I'd like you to try to see things from both perspectives if you can." She got off his leg then and began walking away, turning back only once to wish him a simple good night before simply disappearing in a burst of speed.

End Flashback

He hadn't seen her at all since then and he'd been on the lookout all morning. "The Filolials really seem to like you," said Raphtalia to Melty, breaking Darius out of his thoughts.

"Do you really think so?" questioned Melty as she petted one of the nearby ones.

"Those birds are nothing," said Johann, "if you wanna see something cool at any point, just ask for a lift. There's nothing like the view from the back of a drag-." His sentence trailed off as Fitoria suddenly appeared by the table with a rather serious look on her face.

"So I guess you've decided what you want to do then," said Darius as everyone else looked on in stunned silence. The Filolial Queen replied with a single nod. "Any chance we're gonna like it?" She simply shook her head indicating that no, what was about to happen would not be pleasant. "Alright then I suppose breakfast is over." A blue and black pair of gauntlets and greaves suddenly appeared on his limbs while his mask formed on his face before the Armory Hero leapt from his seat with a vicious right cross to Fitoria's face.

But she was even faster as she caught the blow with her hand and tossed the cardinal hero over her shoulder. Darius landed on his feet as they both called out the High Quick skill and seemingly disappeared in a blur of movement. The rest of his and Naofumi's party got up from the table as the two went speeding by them, clashing in midair or exchanging blows on the ground before disengaging and circling around again for another attack. "What in the world's going on," said the Shield Hero as he took a defensive stance and tried to track what was happening before spotting the two fighters entering a line of trees.

The sound of clashing blows and splintering wood filled the air for several moments before Fitoria and Darius both shot out of the trees and back into view before the Armory Hero rushed in with a powerful roundhouse kick. Fitoria stopped the blow and warded off the two follow up punches before leaping over a sweeping kick to deliver a spinning kick of her own which Darius just managed to block with both hands. The force of the impact was enough to send him sliding several feet away as he looked back up to see his opponent was nowhere in sight. But he anticipated the next strike in time as he turned around and caught her midair chop before flipping her over his shoulder.

Such a move was practically pointless against a bird girl, though, as she twisted and hovered in midair to avoid Darius's flying kick and sent him back down to the earth with a nasty backhand. The Armory Hero managed to land on his feet but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "You've improved a fair bit," said Fitoria, "your body is even maintaining this speed longer than before, however, you've still a long way to go." A miniature cyclone erupted from her hand which sent the Armory Hero flying into a nearby column with enough force to create several large cracks.

His mask also disappeared to reveal that he was breathing a little heavily from the exertion on his body as the rest of the group came rushing to his aid. "Liberation: Wind Prison," said Fitoria as she suddenly appeared by Melty and incased her in a diamond shaped whirlwind, "Please trust me Darius." With a wave of her hand, both she and the now imprisoned Melty moved over to a large stone floor situated above some kind of drain.

"What do you think you're doing?!" exclaimed Filo as everyone looked on, save for Rifana who was helping Darius up off the ground.

"I am sorry but it's become necessary for me to take your friend hostage," said Fitoria.

"But why are you using her as a hostage in the first place?" Asked Naofumi.

"Because I need you to promise me that you'll reconcile with the others Shield Hero," explained Fitoria.

"Who cares, let Mel go!" exclaimed Filo and Johann as they almost charged forward if not for the two cardinal heroes raising their hands to stop them.

"And say I decline, what then?" Asked the Shield Hero, "Are you really planning on hurting the princess? Because even if you do there's no way I'm gonna do what you ask."

"So you say," Replied Fitoria, "but to avoid any unnecessary unpleasantness I must ask you to reconsider."

"Why are you so dead set on us working together in the first place?" Naofumi demanded more than asked to know.

"Because I made a promise to the hero who raised me," replied Fitoria, "and because it's the only way the world is going to survive the waves of catastrophe. So I beg of you, please reconsider."

"And I'm going to give you the same answer no matter how many times you ask," Said Naofumi, "There's no way I'm working with those guys."

"If that is the case, then new heroes shall have to be summoned," said Fitoria with a slight bit of hesitation before glaring with renewed determination in her eyes, "so you've left me no choice but to kill the four current heroes." Multiple looks of shock crossed their party's faces at this declaration.

"You're willing to kill us just because we're not getting along?" Questioned Naofumi.

"Will you let go of your ego for a minute and actually think about what you're saying!" Darius practically yelled in the Shield Hero's ear. "I know you don't give a damn about this world but she does and if you tried considering things from her point of view maybe you'd understand why she's willing to do something she clearly doesn't want to do in order to save it!" The Armory Hero turned to Fitoria then with a question of his own. "Tell me, your main concern is that we all work together as a team to fight the waves, not necessarily that we become best friends right?"

"If you are able to accomplish at least that much then no, I won't have to remove them," said Fitoria. "My main concern is doing what is best for this world."

"What do you think of that Naofumi," asked Darius, "Fair compromise?"

"I understand why she needs us to work together," said Naofumi with a clenched fist as he directed his answer towards Fitoria, "but I just can't bring myself to do it! And holding Melty hostage won't change my mind either so if you want me dead so bad then bring it!" The Shield Hero held up his cardinal weapon as the flames of the rage shield began to form. "You better believe I'm not going down without a fight!"

"Is that so," said Fitoria as she held up her hand, generating a blue glow around it which caused Naofumi's flames to suddenly dissipate around his shield.

"What the, again?" Questioned the confused cardinal hero as he looked at his shield.

"She's the one who stopped your rage transformation the last time with jamming magic," said Darius, "why do you think I traded blows with her earlier? I'm the only one capable of fighting her at the moment because my abilities don't rely on a transforming weapon."

"But-," Naofumi started to say before Darius stepped forward towards the Filolial Queen with one last comment directed behind him.

"Just shut up and quit making this worse for a moment," said the Armory Hero before turning back to Fitoria, "Tell me, is reconciliation really the only option open to us right now? Is there no other way you'll be convinced that we can fight the waves without having to work with those morons?"

"I do understand your frustration," said Fitoria with a sigh, "more than you know. So I'll give you one chance. Prove to me you can fight against the waves of catastrophe without assistance from the other heroes and I shall release Melty and let you and the other four live."

"Well that's gener-," Naofumi started to say before Darius turned back to him.

"Zip it," Demanded the Armory Hero, "We don't need to piss her off more than we already have at the moment." He turned back to Fitoria with the next question. "What exactly do you want us to do?"

"Given that I'm already quite familiar with both you and the Shield Hero's capabilities it would be pointless for us to fight," she said before pointing at the two mounts. "So instead, Filo and Johann shall fight me together with no other assistance."

"What, but why us?" Questioned a confused Filo as she pointed to herself.

"And why do I have to work with her?" Asked a grumpy Johann who was already over this whole situation.

"If the two of you can demonstrate that you are strong enough then I will release Princess Melty and will not harm the heroes for the time being," said Fitoria.

"So if we beat you then you'll let Mel go and leave Master Naofumi and Darius alone?" Questioned Filo.

"Heck if that's all then you've got a duel!" Declared Johann as he bashed his fists together, ignoring Naofumi's protests.

"I shall fight in my human form for now and ask that the two of you do so as well," said Fitoria as she leapt down and floated gracefully to the ground.

"Guys you need to wai-," protested the Shield Hero before Darius held his arm out in front of him.

"She's already made up her mind," said the Armory Hero, "none of us are stopping this duel now." As if to drive his point home, a red dome with a kaleidoscope design appeared around the three fighters, marking the boundary of their dueling ground.

"Hope you're ready to hurt chicken girl," quipped Johann as he and Filo readied their combat gloves.

"Because we're coming after you," finished Filo with more confidence than she should've had at the moment.

"Then, how did Darius put it one time," said Fitoria as she held up her hand, "Let us rumble." The two mounts charged forward at full speed as the duel for the lives of their friends began.

**And the fight is on as the two mounts face the incredible power of the Queen of all Filolials! And a quick shout out to MaveriKat about the whole 'assholes everywhere' tidbit. Now for those of you who don't already know, I have also begun the continuation of the story 'My Hero Academia: Hailstorm' which I've posted as a new story titled 'Hailstorm Vol. 2'. So feel free to check it out and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as a dragon and a filolial struggle to do the one thing they hoped to never do, cooperate. 'Til then.**


	21. The Future Rulers of Their Kind

**The Future Rulers of Their Kind**

**And welcome everyone to the latest chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero. But first, some guest reviews. DCDGojira: I actually have an announcement about that at the end of the chapter, but the short answer is yes. To the guest who said nice fic: thank you and hopefully you'll continue finding the story enjoyable. To the other guest reviewer: I do agree that she seemed a bit too critical and seemed to lack a lot of real consideration for the actual situation Naofumi was facing. It would've made more sense to me if she had tried talking to the others first and found out what a bunch of blockheads they were before going to Naofumi. Also, glad you've enjoyed the story so far and just a heads up, more divergence, or something of the sort, is coming after this chapter.**

Ruins of the Heroes: Filolial Sanctuary

If there was one thing Darius learned during his training with the Filolial Queen, it was that pissing her off was typically not a wise idea. And yet, Naofumi had gone and done just that by continually refusing her plea for them to work things out with the other heroes, which was an oddly stupid move for someone the Armory Hero usually trusted to have sound judgment. Especially when said queen now had the second Princess, Melty, trapped in a swirling wind prison. It was only thanks to Darius's intervention that Fitoria had agreed to an alternative solution that wouldn't force her to kill all the cardinal heroes while also allowing the Shield Hero to avoid making nice with the other three. If everything went well that is, which was a very big 'if' in this scenario.

The Queen of all Filolials had declared that if Filo and Johann could show her they were capable of fighting the waves of catastrophe without help from the other heroes, then she would release Melty and leave the present cardinal heroes alone. In order to test them the two mounts would have to face her in a duel, which was why the three of them were currently incased in a red domed shield Fitoria had created. The rest of the party could now only watch as Filo charged in with a flying kick while Johann rushed in low to the ground with a swipe of his clawed gauntlets. Fitoria only had to tilt her head then sidestep in the opposite direction to avoid both attacks. "Far too slow," she said as she caught Johann's arm, stopping his next attack before yanking him off his feet and slinging him into a charging, airborne Filo.

"That hurt scaly brain," said Filo as both her and Johann hovered in the air.

"I didn't do it on purpose it was," Johann stopped speaking as the two of them noticed their opponent was nowhere on the ground.

"Above you!" warned Raphtalia as the two mounts realized where the enemy was. But neither of them could react in time as Fitoria made a quick sweeping motion with her hand, knocking the both of them to the ground. The impact was enough to damage both of their outfits as they struggled to get back up before rushing in again.

"What is the point of all this?" Naofumi thought out loud, "Why does she want to fight them and not any of us, and why are they staying in human form?"

"She protects these ruins if you recall," said Darius with his arms crossed as he tried not to wince each time his party member got knocked around. "The last thing she would want is to be stomping around here trying to catch a flying dragon and a fast bird. As for why she wants to fight those two specifically, I've only got a couple of guesses for that."

"Damn it all," said the Shield Hero through gritted teeth before yelling out. "Filo! Charging in recklessly won't get you anywhere! The two of you need to think of a way together, and put some mana into your outfits to increase your defense!" The blonde girl nodded at this while Johann simply scoffed before the two of them raised their hands in the air and began chanting.

"Try not to throw off my aim chicken blood," commented Johann as a blue fireball formed above his head. "Zweit azure fireball."

"Same to you lizard breath," Filo shot back. "Zweit Tornado!" A pair of swirling winds shot out of Filo's hands while Johann's fireball rocketed towards their target at a different angle.

"I'm afraid that won't be enough," said Fitoria as she held up one hand for each spell. "Anti-Zweit tornado and fireball." A powerful see-through burst of energy erupted from each of her hands, not only canceling out the incoming attacks but almost knocking the two mounts down in the process.

"Be careful she can use jamming magic!" Called Melty from her wind prison. Even if she couldn't, though, the situation was still dire as the two party members tried to locate their enemy in the cloud of dust.

"You're both wide open," said Fitoria as she charged through the dust suddenly and stopped hardly a foot from Filo before blasting her backwards into some rubble with a wave of energy from her hand. She then caught Johann's kick on her blindside before sending him flying into more rubble with the same attack.

"Neither of them are able to defend in time, she's too fast," said Rifana in worry as the two got back up, only to be blasted down again. The outcome wasn't going in their favor so far, something Naofumi was quickly realizing as he made a decision. While Fitoria's attention was focused on the two beast children, he began making his way towards Melty. He didn't get much more than ten feet before a ring of familiar white portals opened up around him and bound him with a number of chains.

"What the shit Darius?!" exclaimed the Shield Hero, "We need to get-." His words were silenced as three orbs of lightning energy flew by his head and practically obliterated a boulder behind him.

"Your friend knows better than to underestimate me," said Fitoria before turning and knocking Johann away with a quick chop strike before twirling around another kick from Filo then blasting her away. "You're quite mistaken if you think I wouldn't notice such an obvious attempt at cheating. Though I feel I must ask, even if you freed Princess Melty what would you do about saving your mounts?" Realization crossed Naofumi's face as he noticed she was right. His shield could've possibly released Melty from her prison, but Filo and Johann were still trapped in the red dome with their opponent.

It was also from this realization that he noticed how much Darius's hands were shaking as the Armory Hero released him from his chains. He knew the Filolial Queen better than any of them, which was the reason that he hadn't made a move of his own. He'd already concluded that it'd be pointless. "Of course it goes without saying," said Fitoria as she turned her attention back to her opponents who'd struggled to their feet, "were the two of you stronger then the Shield Hero wouldn't have even thought of attempting such a tactic. Can either of you even tell me what it is you fight for?"

"It should be obvious," said a winded Filo as her and Johann started advancing towards Fitoria. "I'm fighting for master!"

"And for once we agree on something!" exclaimed Johann as the two of them each threw a punch. Their mounting exhaustion was clear, unfortunately, as Fitoria simply sidestepped each swing.

"Even together you couldn't bring down the tyrant dragon," taunted Fitoria, "And you most certainly can't beat me now. How can either of you expect to be useful to the Armory and Shield heroes?"

"We'll just get stronger and stronger!" Johann practically yelled as he threw another punch.

"And we'll beat you for our masters!" Yelled Filo as the two of them came at their enemy from either side.

"Not with such shallow willpower as that." Stated Fitoria with a powerful swing of her right hand which sent both mounts down on the ground once more. The Filolial Queen continued to inflict pain on the both of them as she hit or blasted them around the makeshift arena. But her words must've spurred something in the two as the dragon and Filolial refused to stay down, struggling back upright time and time again.

"I'll become," said Filo between breaths, "No, we'll become stronger than ever before!"

"We'll take down anyone who wants to hurt the Boss or the Shield Hero," stated Johann as he spat some blood on the ground, "even if it's you!"

"Can you?" Asked Fitoria as she leapt onto a piece of rubble and inhaled deeply. Her body began to glow as light blue particles appeared in the air and floated towards her.

"She's actually absorbing the mana particles from the air," said a worried Melty, "I didn't even think such a thing was possible." The pressure in the area seemed to increase as Johann and Filo's expressions turned to worry for the first time since the duel had begun.

"Don't back down!" Yelled Darius suddenly, "You told me dragons don't scare easy right Johann?! And you are not just a run of the mill dragon either, so do what no dragon's ever done and work with Filo!" Naofumi didn't know if it helped, but he felt he might as well say something as well.

"He's right," said the Shield Hero, "you're not just an ordinary Filolial either. Stay calm and look for openings for your attacks. The two of you can do this, I know you can!" For an odd reason this seemed to distract Fitoria as Darius recognized a familiar look in her eyes, one she only ever got when she was remembering her friends.

"Ah to heck with it," said Johann with a toothy grin as he and Filo held their arms out with their fists closed. "I guess I can make an exception this once for the boss, so let's do this Filo!"

"Right, we can do this!" exclaimed Filo as the two of them closed their eyes and began drawing mana particles to themselves. It wasn't as fast as Fitoria's gathering, but it was definitely progress.

"You're both too slow," said the Filolial Queen with an almost sad tone in her voice.

"It'll be more than enough," said Johann as he opened his eyes.

"Because," said Filo before the both of them exclaimed, "WE WILL BEAT YOU!" The mounts shot into the air then, bouncing off the top of the barrier before charging right at Fitoria. The winged Queen looked unconcerned as she raised a barrier with her hand. "Lightning Talon! Spiral Strike!"

A pair of dragons claws made of blue electricity formed on Johann's hands and feet while the fingers of Filo's gloves burned away to reveal brilliant glowing orange claws. The duo kicked off of each other then, scratching either side of the barrier before jumping off the ground, the dome, then back to Fitoria again. Blow after blow struck her defense as the dragon and Filolial bounded around the battle field, faster and faster as the Queen readjusted the angle of her barrier to continue warding off the continuous attacks. The culmination of the mount's efforts arrived as the pair charged in and struck the shield at the same time, pushing with not only the momentum they'd built up but every last ounce of strength left in their small bodies.

What happened next, surprised even Fitoria as the barrier she erected cracked and shattered under the pressure of the dual attack, bringing a look of shock to her face as Johann and Filo flew by, scratching her cheek and neck in the process before cannonballing into the ground. "Yeah!" Rifana, Raphtalia and even Darius cheered at the little victory.

"They actually did it," said a relieved Naofumi with a sigh. Whatever fight Fitoria had left in her seemed to vanish as she watched the two mounts pick themselves up and approach her sluggishly, barely managing to stay standing as they both lightly punched her.

"We have to be stronger," said Filo, "we have to protect master and Raphtalia."

"We have to be better too," said Johann, "for Boss and Rifana and all our friends."

"Very good," said Fitoria as her former opponents collapsed to their knees, "I believe the two of you have bested me." Filo and Johann tilted their heads in confusion as the red dome disappeared around them. "You've both proven you're strong enough and that has earned Melty's freedom." She gave a soft smile as Melty, no longer surrounded by sharp swirling winds, came running over and hugged both of her friends while crying in relief.

"We actually did it," said Johann as the rest of the group came to stand by them, "Hey boss, we actually pulled it off."

"You were incredible out there Johann," complimented Rifana as she and Darius patted his head.

"You were amazing too Filo," said Naofumi, getting a happy laugh from his party member. Now that the duel was over, Fitoria got to work healing the pair with her magic.

"I'm relieved the both of you were able to pass the trial," said Fitoria, "had you failed, the two of you would've died and the Shield Hero would've died along with you." For obvious reasons Raphtalia and Naofumi gave her a couple of sideways looks.

"Could you not say that while you're smiling," said Darius, "it was kind of a serious deal."

"Yes the test was quite serious," said Fitoria as she held up her hand and conjured a tiara with a red jewel and head band with a purple jewel, "Which is why I feel you've both earned these rewards. Would you lower your heads for a moment?" Filo did so immediately, but it took a stern look from Darius to convince Johann to do the same as the Filolial Queen placed the head band on the dragon boy first before moving to Filo and placing the crown on her head. The moment she was done, the gathered Filolials let out a cheer in the form of several loud squawks.

"Johann, though I had my doubts at first, I am entrusting you with this piece of the dragon emperor so that you may serve as a worthy mount for the Armory Hero. And Filo, it brings me joy to appoint you as my successor."

"Wait, you mean Filo is gonna be the next queen of the Filolials," said a surprised Naofumi. 'Huh,' was the confused reaction from the Shield Hero's mount.

"Congratulations you two," cheered Melty as the crowns glowed and shrank into a cow lick on Filo's head and a straight horn on both temples of Johann's head. 'The Filolial's crown is a cow lick while the dragon crown is a couple of horns,' thought Darius as Melty gushed over how adorable they looked now. Johann was more than thrilled to have actual dragon horns poking out of the sides of his head, but Filo on the other hand.

"Get this weird thing off of me," she said as she pulled the cow lick off, only for it to immediately grow back.

"Oh look it can grow back," Melty applauded happily while Filo was at a loss for what to do.

"It will always grow back, the same goes for Johann's horns," explained Fitoria, "So it would be best if you got used to it now. As you both grow older and gain more strength, you'll acquire more of them." 'Which is why you happen to have three,' Darius thought as he used his HUD to examine some of the info on Johann's new horns. It appeared his Stats had been raised by them, which was more than good news given what they'd encountered recently. "I also have something for the two of you," said Fitoria as she turned to the cardinal heroes.

"Yeah I think I'll pass on the cowlick," said Naofumi, drawing some confused comments from Raphtalia and Rifana about what a cowlick was.

"No need to worry, you won't grow one on your head," said Fitoria as she pulled two of her cowlicks off her head. Both were immediately replaced by new ones. "Your cardinal weapons please." Darius and Naofumi did as requested and held up the bands and shield that denoted their status as heroes. Fitoria dropped one cowlick each in the jewels, causing a message to pop up on their HUDs, Force Unlock: Filolial Series.

"Looks like we got the entire set," noted Darius, "should definitely prove useful in the future."

"Yeah once we actually get our levels high enough to use them," Naofumi pointed out as he saw that most of the shields were still locked due to his current Stats.

"And what do we say when someone gives us a generous gift like this," said Darius with a raised eyebrow. Naofumi sighed as he realized where his comrade was going with this.

"Right, thank you Fitoria," said the Shield Hero, managing to sound fairly sincere, "and sorry I tried to cheat earlier."

"You're both quite welcome," said Fitoria, "though I must speak to the both of you in private at some point if you wouldn't mind."

"And nothing about that sounds omin-uuf," the Shield Hero's comment was quickly silenced by an elbow from Darius as Melty came walking up with a question.

"Um, you said this was a test," said Melty, "was that the reason you took me hostage and also why the Armory Hero stopped Naofumi from rescuing me."

"Yes," replied Fitoria, "I needed to make sure that Filo was a worthy successor and Johann was a capable companion to Darius. But I still feel terrible for doing such a thing to you, so if there is something you desire in return, please name it."

"Well I guess there might be one little thing," said Melty as she squirmed in excitement. A couple minutes later she was cheering happily atop Fitoria's head as the Filolial Queen marched around the ruins in her towering bird form. "This is the greatest moment of my life!"

"So she could literally have asked for anything and all she wants is a ride," said Naofumi as the rest of the group watched from the forest.

"It's actually one heck of a view from up there," commented Darius, "she let me watch the sunset up there on my third day of training after beating a somewhat tougher monster without getting knocked on my ass."

"Yeah I've been meaning to ask," said Rifana as she whispered her question in his ear, "You and her didn't, ya know, get busy in the nest?"

"No we didn't do anything like that," replied the Armory Hero, "we did cuddle a bit on the night before I left here, but nothing super intimate. She's actually a little jealous of you I believe." Rifana couldn't help but smirk a little at that.

"Do you think I'll get that big one day?" Asked Filo as she stared at the immense height of Fitoria.

"I'm just wondering how many cowlicks you'll have by then," quipped Johann as Filo covered her head while yelling no. The group got a laugh out of this and after another few minutes, Melty's little ride on Fitoria's head was through. And like that morning, the party again found themselves seated around the rectangular wooden table to eat a bit of lunch this time.

"That was so incredibly fun!" squealed Melty as she, the rest of the group and the mass of Filolials all enjoyed their meals.

"I realize the day has only started for all of you," said Fitoria, who was standing to the side, "but why not rest for just a while longer before you depart."

"Should we?" Questioned Rifana and Melty as they glanced at the cardinal heroes.

"Given that Johann and Filo both got knocked around a bit, it couldn't hurt to at least let them rest for a bit," said Darius.

"And she is offering so I guess we have no reason not to accept," added Naofumi as Filo and Melty cheered.

"It seems only right to show you some hospitality since we're celebrating right now," said Fitoria as the gathered Filolials all let out their own squawking version of a cheer.

"Wait, you're throwing a new queen party for me aren't you?" Asked Filo, "I didn't agree to that-hey." Her protests were cut short as she was suddenly picked up by a yellow Filolial and placed on its back. Melty, Rifana, Raphtalia and Johann were all having a good laugh until they too were hauled up and placed on the backs of the giant birds.

"Wait, we have to go along with this too?" Questioned a nervous Raphtalia from her perch atop the Filolial.

"Just a couple words of advice," said Darius as he tried and failed to hide a playful smirk, "Hang on tight."

"No way is the future dragon emperor gonna-WOOOOOOOOH!" His screams were joined by the rest of the party as the large flock of Filolials took off at high speed around the ruins. Naofumi looked on in confusion while Darius and Fitoria simply shrugged and continued eating their meal. Unsurprisingly, Johann had a lot of nasty words when the group got back, but even that couldn't spoil the mood as a fire was lit and dinner served to all of them.

Filo had the honor of sitting on a throne that was in surprisingly good condition before being pulled in to dance around the fire with Melty. Darius danced as well, though he was forced to keep swapping between Fitoria and Rifana the whole time to keep the two girls from getting jealous, while Raphtalia had to help Naofumi and Johann get out of the mass of Filolials who were apparently anointing them with a large number of soft pecks. The result was the two were now covered in feathers and Johann was cussing up a storm whenever he thought Darius or Rifana wasn't paying attention. All things considered, though, it was the most fun any of them had had in what seemed like a week and before long, most of the group was asleep among the Filolials once again.

And once more, Darius and Naofumi found themselves still awake and standing in a different section of the ruins. Only this time, the two were in front of a structure which held a bit of sentimental value for the Armory Hero. "So this is where you were summoned," surmised the Shield Hero as he noted the door was sealed.

"Yep, the temple and tomb of the Armory Hero," explained Darius with a nostalgic look at the multi-leveled rectangular structure, "door is sealed in such a way that only an extremely powerful magic user or someone with cardinal hero status can open it. Now that I think of it, Fitoria was probably quite surprised when some yahoo came stumbling 'out' of the place."

"No doubt," said Naofumi as said Filolial queen came walking up behind them, "It looks like it's time for our private chat."

"A question has been lingering in my mind," said Fitoria, "did you ever try to reconcile with the heroes?"

"Oh not this again," Said Naofumi, "No I didn't try to reconcile with any of them."

"And did you make any effort to clear your name of the false charges that had befallen you?" Fitoria Questioned further.

"You know it's more complicated than that Fitoria," said Darius, "even if those three hadn't already made up their minds about him, the king and his daughter were dead set on ruining him and keeping him down from the get go."

"The king may be able to influence his own people," said Fitoria, "however, it's inconsequential so long as the cardinal heroes are all united. But so long as you don't deny being guilty out loud, they'll take it as an admission of guilt."

"I guess you're right about that much at least," said Naofumi as he and Darius sat down on the stairs.

"I plan on dropping the two of you in separate locations," said Fitoria, "you'll be near the other heroes so please, take the opportunity to try and reason with them."

"Well it was fun while it lasted," said Darius, "though the offer's still open if you want to travel with us."

"I will not involve myself any further until the five of you can demonstrate that you are worthy of it," replied Fitoria.

"Great, all we gotta do is switch over to being best friends," said Naofumi with a sigh.

"I think we can work something out," said Darius, "remember, if all goes well we only have to see those ass-hats once a month. So long as we work together then, we can stay out of each other's hair in the off time."

"Well I guess we both owe it to her to at least try," relented Naofumi as he glanced back at Fitroia, "Is that good enough for you?"

"What you really need to understand is that even the absence of one cardinal hero makes it nearly impossible to fight off a wave," said Fitoria, "even more so given that Darius's presence here means the world is out of balance beyond a normal degree. In the case that you can't all work together, it would make more sense to kill you off and allow a new group of heroes to be summoned."

"So you really will kill us all if we can't find a way to cooperate," said Naofumi.

"A time is coming when the world will demand great sacrifices from us all," said Fitoria as she went down a couple steps to look them in the eye, "I don't know how many waves will pass before then, but inevitably it will happen."

"What sort of sacrifices are we talking about?" Questioned Darius as he voiced the question on both their minds.

"A decisive battle in which all the heroes will be forced to choose what it is they want to fight for," replied Fitoria, "It is the moment I'm dreading most."

"What do you mean by choosing what we fight for?" Asked Naofumi.

"Is it the world you're both fighting for or the people," Fitoria questioned back, "many people will lose their lives if you choose the world, but your duty will be fulfilled should you follow that path."

"And should we choose to fight for the people, what then?" Asked Darius.

"It will be a truly thorny path to tread should you make that choice," explained the Filolial Queen with a far off look. "I've forgotten many things over the years but one detail I recall clearly is that saving the world is not the same as saving its people. The ones who came before you always hoped that their successors would fight for the latter."

"I guess that is why they'd be called heroes of the people," said Naofumi.

"Neither of you are ready to make this choice as of yet," said Fitoria sadly, "many hurdles will come before it, too many for either of you to conquer alone."

"Is the reason you're coming to me with all of this because I've been traveling with Darius?" Questioned Naofumi. "It seems like it'd be more productive to convince the other heroes to forgive me."

"Even if Darius wasn't traveling with you, I'd still consider you a hero of higher worth than the others," replied Fitoria, "don't misunderstand. I am fond of Darius here, but it is also because you've demonstrated your own set of heroic traits. Not to mention, one who can raise a future Filolial Queen typically isn't all bad."

"Plus if you had turned out to be a jerk, I wouldn't have stuck around," added the Armory Hero.

"Well I'm not exactly the nicest guy either," said Naofumi.

"Despite that, I do believe you have what it takes to convince the other heroes," said Fitoria, "and you won't be doing it alone. You have the loyal Armory Hero going along with you."

"You give me too much credit, but I still appreciate it," said Darius with a small smile.

"Should you fail, however, you will all die," said Fitoria, "you're all too weak to fight individually at the moment and if not by my hand you will certainly die by the enemies from the waves."

"I guess we'll be needing our curse series more than ever if the upcoming battles are gonna be that tough," said Naofumi.

"I'd rather you didn't, but since you seem to think it's necessary," said Fitoria before putting one hand on Darius's bands while placing the other on Naofumi's shield. A glow came from the jewels and the dragon emperor shard in Naofumi's armor as their Stats updated. "There, the corrosion will be a bit slower now. But you should still be careful as I am unable to stop it completely. Wield the cursed power as little as possible."

"You know for all the talk about killing us, you really are a kind person aren't you Fitoria, thanks," said Naofumi with legitimate gratitude. Strangely, his comment seemed to surprise the Filolial Queen a bit as a memory flashed through her mind. Before the Shield Hero could say much else, Fitoria had dropped her head onto his lap, looking somewhat tired for once. "Uh, could you please get off?"

"Just for a moment Sir Hero," asked Fitoria with a hint of longing in her voice.

"Well I mean-," He started to say before his argument was crushed completely.

"Naofumi Iwatani you shall pat her majesty's head and you will like it!" commanded Darius with a look that invited no arguments. Not wanting to really tick off his friend, the Shield Hero did as requested and began stroking her hair. The winged girl hummed in appreciation as she closed her eyes for a moment.

"So was her original owner also the Shield Hero," asked Naofumi, not wanting to disturb the queen.

"A Filolial's memory is short," replied Darius as he noted the tears of joy in Fitoria's eyes, "it's honestly amazing she remembered as much about the Armory Hero as she did. At best, she remembers it was either the Shield Hero or the Armory Hero who raised her because some of her fondest memories are her times with them."

"Well that might explain a few things," said Naofumi, "And I suppose after all she's done for us, I can't really refuse a request from her."

"You promise then," said Fitoria as she raised her head up off of Naofumi's lap, "Will you at least try?"

"I promise," said Naofumi as he stood up, "starting tomorrow, I'll try and reconcile with the other heroes if I get the chance."

"That is all I ask for," said Fitoria with a nod as the Shield Hero turned and headed off to get some sleep. "And I suppose there is something else on your mind, Darius? Even if you haven't said it out loud, I know you've already made the same promise."

"That goes without saying," replied Darius, "Though I do have to wonder about the way you phrased killing us at times. It almost sounded like you'd spare my life while eliminating the other four."

"That is because your summoning is under different conditions than the others," explained Fitoria, "In order to summon new cardinal heroes, all four of the current heroes must die. But the Armory Hero's creation was different and is subject to a different set of parameters. Should you die, there is no guarantee another Armory Hero would be summoned in your place. Though if I believed it would help the world I would put you to rest as well, with an extraordinarily heavy heart."

"I suppose that's what I get for being a monkey wrench of a hero," said Darius, "I'm kinda messing up a lot of people's plans lately, right along with Naofumi."

"Indeed," said Fitoria, "but I feel the matter of whether or not I'd end you for the sake of the world wasn't the only reason you asked that question. What other concerns are weighing on your mind?" Darius sighed as he decided he'd best not hide it at this point.

"My real concern isn't whether or not we can convince the other heroes, especially after watching the apparent impossibility that was a dragon and Filolial working together. I'm more concerned about a dream I had a few nights back, one where I was some kind of ruler freely wielding the power of the curse series."

"You fear it may become a reality," stated Fitoria, "and you are right to worry. The more you use the curse series, the more pronounced the price for it becomes."

"Have any cardinal heroes ever fallen to the curse series before?" Asked Darius. Fitoria seemed to think for a moment before answering.

"I can recall a few tales where such a fate did befall a cardinal hero," replied Fitoria, "But the one which would be most relevant to you would likely be the fate of the third or fourth Armory Hero. I cannot properly recall which."

"What happened to them exactly?" Replied the cardinal hero, not sure if he really wanted to hear the answer.

"From what your predecessor was able to uncover," began Fitoria, "there was an Armory Hero who unlocked his curse series early on due to his apparent jealousy of how powerful the other cardinal heroes were and used it extensively until it began to warp his thoughts. He started hoarding the best weapons and armors he could find, taking forcefully what he could not buy or trade through means of disguise, thievery, intimidation and even murder at times. He also used his influence as a cardinal hero to work his way up the hierarchy of a port city known for crafting the highest quality war materials. By this point the curse series had twisted his mind into something far more malevolent than the person who had originally arrived and when a wave hit, he used it as cover to end the ruler of the port city while blaming it on the monsters."

"This tactic created enough fear throughout the populace that few argued with him declaring himself the new ruler. But as time wore on, it was obvious something was amiss. He no longer removed his mask which had grown gnarled ram's horns and he adorned himself in the finest gold armor he could get his hands on. Those in the city began to call him the golden king, while those outside of the city referred to him as the gold tyrant. The consuming power of the curse series became so great that he eventually declared war on the other four cardinal heroes, believing that he alone was now more than enough to fight off the waves."

"It didn't end well for the guy, did it," said Darius.

"No," replied the Filolial Queen, "their clash destroyed the city, with two armies battling while the cardinal heroes tried to subdue him. But in the end, the heroes were forced to kill him. Such a fate will befall you as well if you are not careful."

"So it really is possible," said Darius with a sigh as he looked at his hands, "I've already scarred Rifana with my first use of the curse series, and even though I've gotten better control I can still feel it sometimes, like an itch in the back of my mind."

"You are nothing like the one who became the gold tyrant," stated Fitoria as she placed a hand on his right band. "He was an envious, greedy person to begin with. How else could he become emotional enough in such a short time to unlock the curse series? No, you unlocked yours because of an intense desire to keep anyone from taking your friends away, and complete hatred of the fact that all of you had to put up with the fanaticism of a person you'd never even met."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing even if you do spin it like that," Darius pointed out.

"It means the ones you care about are your treasures," said Fitoria, "I know you'd never intentionally hurt any of your friends, which is why I'm confident you'll listen to me and only use the curse series when you absolutely have too."

"Well I guess if one of the most powerful beings in this world says so, I should at least try to meet the expectation," said Darius, "So let's drop that depressing subject for the time being. After all, starting tomorrow we have to try to and make nice with the douche troop. It's gonna be a heck of a day."

**The King and the Queen have been revealed and the next destination has been set! What shall tomorrow bring for our heroes? At the moment I can tell you all what won't be out tomorrow, a new chapter of Hailstorm Vol. 2. As you all likely know the newest episode was delayed and with no actual source material it's a bit difficult for me to write a story outline for the latest chapter. But fear not, I plan on having it out next week and the week after that shall be the continuation of the Adventures of Team WA Vol. 2! So in the meantime, I hope you all get enough enjoyment out of this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Darius's group encounters not only the heroes, but the conspiracy which has been biting at their heels since the beginning. 'Til then.**


	22. Unraveling Conspiracy

**Unraveling Conspiracy **

**Hello everyone and welcome to another chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero! No guest review questions were posted this week so we can jump right into the story! Enjoy. **

On a Road Near the Border of Siltvelt

As before, Fitoria's teleportation magic proved quite useful as she and Darius's party appeared on the side of a wagon road. "This is something of a half way point," said Fitoria as she pointed down the road, "One of the heroes is off in that direction while the other two are almost in the opposite direction, heading for one of the large cliff sides."

"I guess whichever one we take will leave Naofumi to deal with the other," said Darius as he weighed his options for a moment. "I know for a fact he can take down at least one in a straight fight if he had too, so I guess we'll head in the direction of the other two."

"Are you sure that's a good idea," asked Rifana, "Naofumi's got one more member in his party right now, so in theory he should be able to take on more than one of the heroes if it came down to it."

"Yes he could definitely hold his own," said Darius, "but we don't know if the rest of them have their parties traveling along this time around, or who's traveling with who. If we're lucky, the lone hero near the border is Ren and he'd be at least somewhat willing to listen to Naofumi. Meanwhile, we've got more options for attacking as well as more mobility, meaning if things start to look too bad Johann might be able to fly us out of there."

"I won't let 'em catch me with another one of those stupid shackles again," said the dragon boy, still not quite over being forcibly changed out of his dragon form.

"Not only that, most of the heroes have more of a beef with Naofumi than with us," added Darius, "so the chances they might listen to what we have to say are a bit higher."

"Well I suppose it'd be better not to put too much of a burden on Raphtalia and Filo," mused Rifana, "So I guess double deuce it is."

"Very well then," said Fitoria, "I shall inform the Shield Hero of your decision after I bring him here. In the meantime." The Filolial Queen reached out and hugged Darius's waist one last time, "I simply ask this. Please, be careful."

"We will," replied the Armory Hero as he patted her head. Fitoria loosened her grip then as Johann transformed, allowing his two passengers to climb aboard. As the winged girl watched them fly off into the distance, she couldn't help the feelings of both awe and dread that welled up inside her. 'Even together, the challenges you face shall be great.' She thought with a sad expression.

Cliff Cave Entrance: Over the Forest

Johann's enhanced Stats were certainly noticeable. His take off had been far less taxing than normal and each flap of his wings seemed to possess even more strength than previous flights. His body was also a bit larger and the talons on his wings as well as his horns were more pronounced. Their speed was also noticeably higher as the group arrived at the desired area even faster than the dragon boy himself had expected. "Are you seeing anything?" Asked Darius as his mount flew lower over the trees.

"There's some kind of opening at the bottom of that cliff," observed Johann, "and I think I see people there."

"It's them," confirmed Rifana as she squinted her eyes to get a better look, "I'm seeing blue and some yellow down there."

"Ah great," said Darius, "that means it's Ren and Itsuki down there, so then the guy traveling alone-."

"Is the spearheaded douche who hates Naofumi's guts," groaned Rifana as she finished the sentence, "So much for trying to make things easier on him."

"Well it's too late to turn around now, they've seen us," noted the Armory Hero as he watched the two heroes and their parties move into something of a defensive formation. "Take us down next to the cave entrance Johann and switch back to human form, but be ready to hustle if negotiations break down."

"You got it boss," replied the dragon emperor candidate as he twisted around in the air and landed a few feet away from their mark, kicking up a bit of dust with his impact. The cardinal hero and his weasel companion both hopped off as Johann changed back into his child form.

"Hey Ren, Itsuki," said Darius as he held his hands up, "sorry to interrupt your little search but-."

"It's the right hand of the devil of the shield!" yelled one of the party members, a large man dressed in full knight armor as he charged forward with a swing of his ax. Rifana had her own weapon out in an instant and managed to block his first blow. She parried a few more before ducking under the man's guard and elbowing him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Another fighter, this one from Ren's party, leapt forward and attempted to strike at Rifana only to be warded away by a flying kick from Darius before he and Rifana moved back a few feet. "You'll not harm the heroes this day!" yelled a man in a robe as he charged a spell, only for them all to stop as a familiar green-haired girl suddenly blocked their way.

"Wait, please!" exclaimed Rishia, "We should at least find out why they're here first."

"Move aside Rishia," said the armored man as he staggered back to his feet, "that man there is a servant of-."

"He's not a demon!" exclaimed Rishia, "He is a hero and he doesn't deserve any of what's happening right now. Please Sir Itsuki, Sir Ren, I'm begging the both of you just hear them out. I don't believe his party has come here to fight us!"

"Rishia this man stole my identity as a hero and claimed my deeds as his," said Itsuki, "we have no reason to trust him."

"For the last time I did that because it helped Koteraan," said Darius as he crossed his arms, "If you'd done your job in the first place it wouldn't have been necessary." The Bow Hero was about to retort to this but Ren beat him to it.

"At least answer us this," said the Sword Hero, "where's Melty and Naofumi?"

"Right about now," replied the Armory Hero, "on his way to see Motoyasu and don't worry, Melty's with him and she's safe, for the moment."

"For the moment?" Questioned Ren with a raised eyebrow at the phrasing of his response.

"I don't know what Naofumi will do once he figures out who he's running into," replied Darius, "but one thing's for sure, if Malty catches sight of Melty she'll do everything she can to try and end the crown princess's life."

"If you're so worried about that, why did you split off from his party to come and find us?" Questioned Itsuki.

"Because we've come to realize that at the end of the day even if we run to the ends of the earth, the actual problem won't go away," said Darius, "And my very convincing teacher made us promise to try and work things out with you guys so we can deal with the true threat facing this world, the waves of catastrophe."

"And why should we believe you?" Questioned the same hooded mage, Welst, he had heard someone say, "For all we know your intentions are to brainwash all of us and use the cardinal hero's power for your own gain!"

"Oh for the love of, take a look at this," said Darius as he summoned a replica legendary sword, "I can only wield the skills of the other cardinal heroes that I've actually seen and only after I've summoned a replica of the legendary weapon. If I was using this so-called brainwashing shield ability, I'd have a replica shield out right now which means so long as I have this out and so long as Ren doesn't pull out a brainwashing sword or something, I won't be brainwashing anyone."

"Not that you could anyway given that there's no brainwashing shield to begin with," commented Rifana.

"You lie damn demi, the right hand of the-AAAAAAH!" The Armored Man, Mald was his name apparently, was silenced by a sudden blast of water from Rishia.

"They're not lying," she said quietly at first, "I know they're not lying because I owe them everything."

"What are you talking about Rishia, and why did you blast Mald?" Questioned Itsuki.

"The Armory Hero and his party rescued me from the nobleman who took me away as payment," said Rishia, "they gave me the chance to see my parents again and to fight for my home and for the world against the waves. I never once saw him wield any kind of brainwashing power and even if he did, how could someone who'd risk their life to save a country that wasn't their own be evil?"

"You mean the reason you were with the Shield Hero's group was because of, why didn't you ever tell us?" Questioned Itsuki.

"I was too nervous to say anything because of the way you spoke about him," said Rishia, "you never asked why he used your mantle, you just assumed he was in it for the glory. I agreed to travel with you all in the first place because it's considered among the greatest of honors to be accepted into the party of a cardinal hero, and I hoped I might be able to change your mind at some point. But I have no choice now, if I must choose I will side with the saviors of my home. So I'm begging you, please believe they don't want to harm anyone." The girl was on the verge of tears by now thanks to the situation, but relief came in the form of Ren.

"…..I Believe them," he finally said, getting a number of gasps and murmurs from the rest of the group. "Remember it was him and Naofumi who told us to investigate the Three Heroes Church in the first place and look what we've found so far: They worship the three heroes while denouncing the shield as some kind of demon or devil, while also completely ignoring the Armory Hero. The talk about him being some sort of right hand only started up recently. Given that it's Melromarc's official religion and the secret archive we found in the church that led us here in the first place, it all adds up to only one conclusion. The Three Heroes Church is acting in exactly the same manner as the Brave Star Online event 'To Heir is Human.'"

"Yes that's exactly…Say what now," Darius said as he realized what Ren was talking about.

"Oh of course," said Itsuki, "the one where the princess gives you a quest to hunt down a criminal only for it all to turn on it's head when you realize that said criminal is the true ruler. While the so-called princess is actually leading a coup d'état. The same plot was in the game Dimension Wave as a DLC, but in this scenario Naofumi would be the bandit lord who's helping the princess."

"Well it's more like," The Armory Hero started to say before another idea occurred to him, "I mean yes, that is exactly what's happening right now. Only it's the Three Heroes Church who is aiding in the coup d'état and if we don't stop them they could potentially take control of the entire country by overthrowing the royal family."

"What's DLC, and what does it have to do with any of this?" Whispered Rifana, noting the sarcasm in Darius's voice.

"Just play along for now," Darius whispered back, "trust me it's too stupid to explain while we've got so much going on." His companion didn't get it, but nodded nonetheless.

"Well we may as well continue what we were doing before you showed up," said Ren, "but I know my party won't trust you to have our backs, so if you're going to hang around with us, you're going to have to enter the cave first."

"Why do we have to go in there first?" Exclaimed Johann.

"Because even if everything you told us is true, that doesn't necessarily mean we can trust you either," said Itsuki, "plus, my party isn't comfortable with you guys being behind us."

"Well at least tell us what we're looking for in there first," said Darius.

"A shrine to a cardinal weapon," explained Ren, "but it's not a true cardinal weapon. Apparently, it's some kind of replica the church has been hiding."

"Replica you say," repeated the Armory Hero as his own curiosity was piqued, "alright, we'll go first but you and Itsuki have to follow immediately after us. Gotta make sure tin can over there doesn't pull a fast one."

"Are you mocking my honor as a warrior?!" Questioned Mald angrily.

"Believe me if we were mocking you it'd be a lot worse," commented Rifana. Mald was about to retort to this but Rishia stepped forward then.

"I'll go in after the three of you," she said, "think of me as an envoy between the two parties."

"I can work with that," said Darius as he and the rest of his party turned and entered the tunnel, "just try not to trip over anything in here, it's kinda hard to see your feet." This warning didn't reach everyone, though as one of Itsuki's party members stubbed their toe on a rock. No other incidents occurred as the large group advanced, noting one interesting detail about the cave, or rather the lack thereof.

"You'd think there'd be some kind of traps or protection spells for something so important," noted Ren as they arrived at the shrine. It was an upraised platform of sorts with stairs circling around it, and at the center was what appeared to be more of a coffin than a shrine.

"I'm also not detecting any type of enchantments or mystical locks on this thing," observed Darius as he climbed the stairs and looked at the object of their visit.

"I suppose we may as well take a look, whatever the case," said Ren as he pushed the lid off of it, and gasped. "What is this, what in the world is going on?" The fabled cardinal weapon, or whatever it was they'd hoped to find, was gone.

"They must have taken it already," said Darius, "but why would they need, oh no. We need to get to Naofumi before-."

"EVERYBODY RUN!" yelled Itsuki as a massive light appeared from the hole in the cave ceiling. The Armory Hero swore as the blast of energy impacted against the rock walls and detonated, blinding everyone as the resulting explosion completely obliterated the large rock formation and a number of the trees in the surrounding area.

"This is the price for investigating affairs above your station, imposter heroes," said a man wearing white robes with a pointed, cardinal's hat on his head and a red cape. The gray-haired man looked relatively healthy for his age as he tipped his glasses and handed off a golden sword to one of his followers. This man was the current leader of the Three Heroes Church, Pope Biscas T. Balmus, and he was currently standing on a cliff several hundred yards away from the recently obliterated shrine.

"Your holiness," said one of his followers, a bishop in a black robe with a brown mustache, "we've located the Shield Hero. He will be making contact with the Spear Hero not long from now."

"Have you already sent the message out about what happened?" Questioned the Pope.

"Yes your holiness," replied the follower, "as far as the Spear Hero is concerned, the sword and bow fell to the devil of the shield."

"Excellent," said the Pope with a smile as he walked forward and looked out over a massive crowd of robed individuals, "Rejoice, for today we shall visit God's judgment on all of the false heroes and vanquish the devil of the shield!" A massive cheer rose from the assembled mass of followers who'd come with the Pope. As far as any of them were concerned, all was happening according to the divine plan.

Shrine Ruins: A Short Time Later

A mass of rubble was all that remained of the rock formation that had contained the shrine to the replica weapon. What rock hadn't been obliterated had collapsed into a pile that reached several feet into the air in a lifeless husk. Or it would've appeared lifeless to one who simply glanced and moved on. But should one wait patiently, they would note that rock shifted ever so slightly as sand poured out from in between several cracks. Then if one waited yet another couple of minutes, the sight of the rocks being blasted apart would be the next thing they'd witness as the three cardinal heroes and their parties came stumbling out and collapsed down into sitting positions or kneeling positions.

"That was way too close," said Itsuki, "I can't believe we're all still alive right now."

"I think we have Darius and Rifana over here to thank for that," said Ren as he watched said hero dissolve the replica rage shield on his arm. It was far less powerful without the curse series, but somehow it had held up against the massive attack from earlier and created a barrier strong enough to hold the rocks off of them. Rifana had then used her magic to reduce several of the heavier boulders to sand, allowing him and Itsuki to finish the job by blasting them out.

"But what even was that in the first place?" Questioned Rishia between breaths.

"The replica cardinal weapon," said Darius, "it looks like someone caught onto your snooping and warned the church you'd be here."

"Or maybe they were trying to kill the right hand of the shield," remarked Mald as he struggled to his feet.

"Then why didn't your beloved church fire off an attack the moment Darius entered the cave or even before that genius," Rifana pointed out, "they wanted all of us dead."

"You should learn to mind your tongue demi-OOOOF!" The armored man was quickly silenced by Johann stepping on him as he crawled out of the rubble. He'd taken his dragon form in order to provide everyone a bit more protection from the debris.

"Whoops, didn't see you there through all that ego," remarked the dragon boy.

"Enough," said Ren, "it's obvious the church is up to something. Whether it's the work of a splinter faction or the whole group doesn't matter. What we need to do right now is figure out where they're headed next."

"I believe I can answer that Sir Hero," said a familiar voice as one of the Queen's shadows dropped down from a nearby tree. She was joined by a few others who pulled out some potions to give to the injured and mana deprived. "The entirety of the Three Heroes Church is currently on the move towards the border between Melromarc and Siltvelt, specifically the one currently guarded by the Spear Hero and his party. I've also received a report that the Shield Hero should be arriving there shortly as well."

"So that is their game," said Darius with a hand on his chin, "wait for Motoyasu to bring down Naofumi and then kill him or, in a more likely scenario, wait for Naofumi to defeat Motoyasu and then kill them both. Either way we need to get moving."

"Sorry but who are these people?" Questioned Ren as he eyed the newcomers.

"They're known as Shadows," explained Rifana, "the Queen of Melromarc's personal network of spies. I believe Darius mentioned them the last time we met. They've proven helpful from time to time." Ren and Itsuki seemed to accept this for the moment as they got back to the current issue at hand.

"We were buried under there for a while. Given the head start the church has on us, we'll need to hurry to the border," said Itsuki.

"Maybe not," said Ren as he glanced at Johann, "Darius. How much weight can your dragon currently carry?"

"Well his Stats were increased recently," replied the Armory Hero, "so it's very possible he could carry four people easily, though you two would have to fly in the economy seating. Three's already pushing it for the saddle."

"But what about us?" Welst, addressing the thoughts of the rest of the party.

"I'm afraid you'll have to either follow far behind us or return to the capital," replied Ren, "we're already too far behind and too short on options to figure out a way to carry everyone." Murmurs of discontent went through both parties, but a stern look from the Sword Hero quieted any protest.

"Worry not," said the Shadow, "her highness the Queen is on her way to that very location with reinforcements. If you arrive in time and delay the enemy long enough she should be able to take control of the situation." The cardinal heroes noded in understanding as they prepped to leave.

"Just on last question before we go, Darius. What exactly is 'flying economy' in this scenario?" Questioned Itsuki

Near the Border of Siltvelt

"I swear if you drop me I will hunt you all down after I respawn!" exclaimed Itsuki as he dangled from Johann's left foot.

"Yes, like we didn't hear you the first eight times you made that threat," remarked Rifana from her seating position behind Darius.

"A fall from this height probably won't kill us," said Ren who was dangling from Johann's other foot, "But I still feel like this could've been thought through at least a little better."

"You're the one who kept saying we were short on time," Darius pointed out, "and by the looks of it, we might barely make it." The other two heroes were about to ask what he meant until they spotted a massive, smoldering crater in the ground that cut into the defensive wall where the check point used to be. What was even more astonishing was the incredibly bright light that suddenly appeared and blasted another chunk out of the crater. "I guess that's our cue for hero time, step on it Johann!"

"You got it," replied the dragon emperor candidate as he gave another powerful flap of his wings and flew towards the crater. As the group of five approached, a burst of flame erupted which just missed its intended target, the Shield and Spear Heroes along with their parties who were all currently in the center of the crater.

"Drop us right before you land," ordered Ren, "we'll hit him on the way down."

"Hope you don't mind me taking the first shot," said Johann as he came to an abrupt stop and hovered in midair before launching a ball of azure fire at the man standing on the opposite side of the crater, the pope of the Three Heroes church who was currently wielding a golden replica of the cardinal spear.

"Hundred Swords, Meteor Shot!" exclaimed Ren and Itsuki as they landed and fired their own attacks. The collective moves slammed into some kind of glowing yellow barrier resembling a magic seal before shattering it under the weight of the onslaught.

"N-not possible, how," questioned the Pope as he fell to one knee from the pain of the broken seals and gazed across the crater. Everyone else was just as surprised at the new arrivals.

"It was a nice try, but your ultimate weapon didn't have quite the impact you probably hoped it would," Quipped Rifana.

"Guess we made it here in the nick of time," observed Itsuki as he and Ren took stock of the situation. A mass of followers was standing behind the pope, all apparently magic casters, as well as a large collection of Melromarc soldiers who were apparently loyal to the church.

"You two head down there and help fight the pope," said Darius, "we'll take down his followers to cut off the mana supply to his weapon."

"How do you know that's what's powering it?" Questioned Ren.

"No idea honestly," said Darius as he summoned his lightning bow, "but there isn't a doubt in my mind that's how it works for some reason. Besides, wouldn't it be best for the four cardinal heroes to work together for a change?"

"I can understand that reasoning," said Itsuki as he and Ren slid down into the crater, "just don't be mad if we get all the glory." 'Well he's got a one track mind,' thought Rifana before drawing her mace. Darius directed Johann back into the air and around the crater as he fired a collection of lightning arrows that were assisted by a lightning blast from Johann. Another yellow barrier seal appeared around the mass of gathered mages, but some of the soldiers who were unlucky enough to be standing close to the barrage got hit.

"Our target is the mages," said Darius, "so let's hit 'em with everything we've got!"

"Right!" replied Johann and Rifana as the weasel girl dropped down and created multiple spider web cracks in the ground with a swing of her mace that managed to shake up some of the mages.

"Stop them, do not let the right hand of the devil near the mages!" exclaimed a soldier in the uniform of a guard captain as they all converged on Rifana. A rain of spears and lightning arrows cut through several of them as the Armory Hero dropped down next to his companion before shifting his weapon to a silver saber with a green gem while also summoning his mask.

"Combo attack," said Rifana as she used her hail stone spell, scraping the ground with her mace to fire several high speed rocks which Darius made even faster with a swing of his wind enchanted saber. But something was strange, the attack was much stronger than expected and even caused the Armory Hero to stumble a bit as the combo skill tore through several soldiers. "Weird, I don't remember it being that effective."

"Maybe it's self-upgrading," proposed Darius as he stared at his sword in confusion for a moment before ducking a spear attack and slashing another soldier across the chest with more wind magic. Once again it was stronger than expected and actually blew the dead follower away. "Man what is up with this?" Another group of soldiers advanced, only for half of them to be blown away by a couple of swings from the Armory Hero while Rifana sank the rest in a quicksand spell.

But as Darius was about to summon another set of portals, a sudden pain shot through his head and made him drop to one knee. "What...is…this?" Images had begun flooding his mind as he saw people he didn't recognize from a first person perspective as well as, Fitoria? But something was different about her. She seemed more, innocent.

"Darius," said Rifana as she smashed the skull of a soldier who'd tried to hit her downed comrade, "what's wrong?"

"I'm seeing, memories, of someone else I think," the Armory Hero managed to answer before blasting away another few soldiers with a swing of his saber while still holding his head with one hand. Johann swooped in and unleashed a torrent of flame on the soldiers and mages, but all Darius could see was shifting images now.

"So who are you exactly?" asked a dark-haired man with a shield as he sat atop a noble-looking Filolial. "Your story about being a cardinal hero seems a little fishy given that you're not wielding a primary weapon."

"Don't have one," he replied in a voice that clearly belonged to someone else, "my armory is my weapon." The images shifted again, this time showing different stages of a battle against a wave and then the aftermath.

"Thanks for the save back there," said the shield bearer, "where'd you learn some of those moves?"

"The mask allows me to use fighting techniques and skills I've seen to an extent," he replied, "So I guess I'm more of an imitator when it gets right down to it."

"Well so long as what you're imitating is the right thing to do I suppose I can't complain," replied the shield bearer. The images came faster now as he saw more battles, traveling along several country sides, Fitoria's transformation from a regular Filolial to the Filolial Queen, and the discovery of the ruins of the gold tyrant city. Finally, one memory played out more distinctly than the others. It was him, the Shield bearer and Fitoria all sitting around a table in a castle, resting from their latest victory.

"That boss was tough," commented Fitoria in an unfamiliar playful tone as she sipped at some tea, "please tell me the next one won't be a giant, wingless dragon monster!"

"Are you sure you aren't saying that because you hate dragons on principal," commented the shield bearer.

"I hate dragons because they're ravenous, greedy, selfish creatures who become even worse when their sex drive kicks in," replied Fitoria, "come to think of it maybe this one was having that problem. He seemed to be eyeing our armory guy here just a bit."

"Huh," he said as he was broken from his thoughts, "what'd I miss?"

"Fitoria telling an actual joke," said the Shield bearer, "and that usually only happens in the rare instances when you're not joking because something is on your mind. So what's the issue?"

"Well," he began, "Me and Fitoria actually managed to find the city of the gold tyrant recently, and its weapon's vault."

"That should be good news, right?" said the Shield bearer, "the entire arsenal of one of your predecessor's at your fingertips. It could make the next wave that much easier."

"It's sealed," said Fitoria, "the remnants of a curse series, likely the greed series, is lingering around it."

"I've already placed my own purifying seal on it," said the Armory Hero, "but who knows how long it'll be before all the weapons in there are completely free of the curse series influence."

"Okay, so I guess that's a bust," said the Shield Bearer, "but at least if it does purify before the next wave we'll still be golden, if you'll pardon the expression. But is that the only issue you're thinking over?"

"I was actually thinking a little bit about legacy," he said with a sigh, "all my predecessor left for me or the people were ruins and a mass of weapons that can't be used right now. It's more like a taunt than anything."

"Oh look at all the weapons you can't have because I was a greedy prick," said Fitoria with her hands on her hips as she made her best evil king impersonation, "You'll have to go find your own."

"Or, we could make one," suggested the Armory Hero.

"Would that really be a good idea?" Questioned the Shield Bearer, "We already have our cardinal weapons and you've got enough weapons now to outfit a small army. What would this weapon do for us that ours can't already?"

"It wouldn't be for us," replied the Armory Hero, "It would be a weapon for the people, in order to help them defend themselves against the waves."

"What brought this idea on," Questioned the Shield Bearer as he listened a bit more intently.

"Like I said before it's all about legacy," said the Armory Hero, "We're not the first batch of heroes to do this job and by the sound of it we may not be the last. But if we leave something behind, something that the people can rally behind and use to protect themselves then it might not be necessary to summon the cardinal heroes again. We could stop the cycle by giving the people the power to be their own heroes."

"Well it is an inspired idea if nothing else," said the Shield Bearer, "I guess we could at least try to see if it's possible."

"Well my only other idea is lead an army of sex-crazed dragons against the next wave," remarked the Armory Hero, "Would you mind being the bait Fitoria, I hear they like chicken legs."

"For the last time I am not a chicken," said the Filolial Queen as she crossed her arms with a quick 'hmph', "I am a proud, strong Filolial."

"Of course my mistake," said the Armory Hero, "I meant giant chicken legs."

"I'll show you chicken legs!" exclaimed Fitoria as she started playfully kicking the Armory Hero, bringing laughter to everyone at the table as the image faded from Darius's mind and he seemed to return to reality. 'It can't possibly be,' he thought, 'that weapon is-.' His thoughts were interrupted as he looked up and saw something ominous.

The remaining church mages had managed to cast another spell, this one gigantic as a black orb surrounded by purple mist appeared above the Pope's head and floated into the air. "Not good, that spell is-."

"CATHEDRAL!" Exclaimed the Pope as a building-sized structure formed around the entirety of the crater, cutting off any route of escape the other heroes and their parties might've had. As the name implied, it resembled a church cathedral, one made of gold in this case.

"What in the world are we gonna do about that?" Questioned Rifana as she looked on in awe at the mystic structure. 'Good question,' Darius thought, 'I haven't the slightest idea.' Meanwhile, far in the distance, a red-haired woman wearing armor and a crown rode towards the battle with a detachment of troops at her disposal.

'Hold out just a little longer my heroes,' she thought while picking up her pace, 'the world cannot afford to lose you all now.'

**The Forces of Melromarc are all converging as the cardinal heroes struggle to end the conspiracy that is the Three Heroes Church, but what is the Armory Hero's connection to the fabled replica weapon? Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. In other news, next week is my planned continuation of The Adventures of Team WA! Now be sure to stop in next time as the true nature of the replica cardinal weapon is revealed. 'Til then.**


	23. The True Ruler of the Nation

**The True Ruler of the Nation**

**Hello and welcome to the exciting conclusion to the battle with the Pope and his followers! It seems we have no guest review questions to answer this week, so let's dive right in.**

The Time of the Previous Armory Hero

"Focus, just a little more energy is all we need," said the Armory Hero as he felt his mana draining rapidly through his outstretched hand. Four other figures mimicked his action as their mana flowed into a glowing yellow light that was slowly taking shape. Just as a warning sounded on his HUD about his depleting mana, the light intensified before quickly dying down, leaving a golden replica of the legendary sword.

"Did we do it?" Asked the former Spear Hero as the Armory Hero picked up the weapon and examined it.

"Well expectedly the Stats are much lower than all of your weapons," he said, "but the big question is." He concentrated for a moment and the weapon responded to his thoughts, reshaping into a gold replica of the legendary bow. "It works, it actually changed shape!"

"Your crazy idea turned out alright after all," commented the previous Bow Hero, "though it looks like it stretched the limits of both our crafting and your replica ability. Do you think it'll last?"

"Well the theory was to combine both the replica and crafting abilities to create a permanent replica," said the previous Shield Hero as he examined the weapon, "It's got pretty much legendary durability and according to the abilities list it's got even some of our most advanced skills, with the usual downgrade in power. To top it all off, since it counts as its own weapon now you can still use your portals without having to worry about the usual limitations of wielding a legendary replica."

"I do notice one slight problem," said the previous Sword Hero, "the mana cost for using this thing at full power is incredible. Anyone one person who wanted to do more than change forms with this thing would have to have a ridiculous amount of mana. Either that, or have a group of mages accompanying them at all times."

"I don't think that's as big of a drawback as you're making it out to be," said the Armory Hero, "think about it. This weapon requires people working together to wield it, meaning a united village or city or a kingdom would all have to agree on someone trustworthy to use it while also having more or less the same goal in mind. In a way, it's a uniting force for people to rally behind."

"This is all optimistically assuming the people we give it too don't decide to use it for personal gain," commented the previous Spear Hero.

"Well the other rule of my replicas seem to still apply," said the Armory Hero, "So I doubt they'd turn it on us, at least as long as I'm still around and even if they did it's not strong enough to take you guys on as you are now."

"Whatever the case," said the Shield Hero, "we need to see if it'll actually prove effective in a fight against the waves of catastrophe, and I think I know a good candidate for that." The scene shifted then as the Armory and Shield Hero advanced down the hallway of a castle Darius didn't recognize until reaching the throne room where a ceremony was being held. The previous Armory Hero kneeled in the typical knight's fashion and presented the weapon to the King and Queen who humbly accepted it and gave their word to use it only for the protection of the people. Time sped up then as battle after battle played out in Darius's mind until one particular battle surfaced where the weapon was lost against an especially powerful monster.

His memories shifted to that of the weapon then as numerous years passed before a peddler discovered it and sold it to a nobleman who figured out how to wield its power with the help of a number of hired mages. His reign of terror lasted for some time until he inadvertently overextended himself and brought down a hillside which buried him and the replica, ending his life. Even more time would pass then until a collection of followers from the newly formed religion known as the Three Heroes Church managed to locate the weapon before hiding its existence and altering the known history, saying it was the noble who attempted to create a replica of the legendary weapons for personal gain. Time would speed up again as the current Pope, Biscas T. Balmus, and a number of church mages stood in front of a summoning circle of sorts using the weapon in place of the real cardinal shield.

The ritual seemed to work at first as a powerful white glow came from the circle before twisting and contorting into a ball of light which fired off into the air and raced away into the distance. "What happened?!" Demanded the all too familiar voice of King Aultcray as he stepped out of the shadows.

"It seems we were wrong in our assessment," said the Pope as he too noted that no one had seemingly been summoned. "The ritual will not work with only three cardinal weapons, nor will it work with this replica holy weapon."

"So you're telling me that we'll have to go through with the ritual and summon the cursed shield with the other three heroes?!" Seethed Aultcray.

"I'm afraid so your highness," said the Pope, "perhaps it is a test from God. It may be fate that you are to summon all four of the heroes so that the world can see the shield for the devil he truly is."

"I still don't like it," said Aultcray, "but if we have no other choice then I shall have my own mages see to the summoning this time. That cursed shield will not tear my family away from me a second time." The image faded then as Darius felt himself returning to the here and now.

Border of Siltvelt: The Present

'So it is true,' Darius thought as he got back to his feet, 'that weapon was created by my predecessor for the people. But now its purpose has been tossed aside.' This thought greatly angered the Armory Hero as he conjured the replica legendary bow and unleashed an even stronger than usual barrage of thunder arrows, cutting down a fair number of the remaining soldiers.

"Darius, are you still with me here?" Asked Rifana as she batted away a couple of soldiers who'd somehow managed to get close.

"Yeah, just got a quick history lesson burned into my brain," replied Darius as he fired another volley of arrows, this time at the mages. Once again a powerful protective seal appeared to block the shots, but the resulting impacts managed to break some of the seals and cause a small number of the magic casters to collapse from mana overuse. "But I know a way we can win now. We just need to break through to the doors of that cathedral."

"Sounds good to me," said Rifana as she held her mace in front of her and chanted a spell. Her weapon began to glow yellow before she slammed it on the ground, causing a number of cracks to race toward the crowd of mages before reducing some sections of the soil to quicksand. Numerous cries of anguish could be heard as a handful of mages were sucked into the earth.

"Offensive mages, get rid of the right hand and his pets!" declared the mustached bishop as he charged up a fire ball and shot it in their direction. Several more followed as Darius halted and summoned a replica legendary shield and cast two airstrike shields. The barrage rained down on the glowing emerald wall but only succeeded in cracking the first one.

"I could get used to all this extra power," said Darius as he dissolved the shield and opened up a total of twenty portals while chanting an incantation to cover them all in lighting. "Try this! Lightning javelin barrage!" The weapons fired off far faster than normal, actually causing Darius to stumble a bit as the resulting impacts created a surprisingly large explosion, destroying even more layers of the shield and draining another couple handfuls of mages. "Of course a little practice wouldn't hurt."

"Retaliate with all we can spare!" Ordered the Bishop as he clambered to his feet, barely avoiding the last attack. A whole line of followers stepped forward and began forming a combined spell that generated a large swirling orb of wind. Johann attempted to stop their charge up by firing a blast of his own lightning, which succeeded in destroying more of the barrier but not in stopping the attack. "This will be your end demon!"

"As source of thy power the Queen orders thee," said a female voice carrying a fair bit of authority, "decipher the laws of creation and trap my targets in cages of ice! All Dritte Fall: Icicle Prison!" An incredible chill swept across the area as ice quickly formed on the ground before trapping most of the casters of the wind spell and the Bishop in jagged ice formations, causing the attack to disperse. Darius looked back to see a woman in battle armor with purple hair wearing a crown atop an armored horse.

"Your way is clear Sir Armory Hero," said the woman as she and a number of Melromarc soldiers stood atop the ruined wall, "If your intention is the cathedral then make haste!"

"Thanks," Darius called back before turning to Rifana, "Can I leave this to you and Johann?"

"We can handle it," said Rifana with a smirk, "I'll just have to make sure Johann doesn't burn the reinforcements on accident." The Armory Hero nodded and turned to leave but was stopped as his companion grabbed his arm. "Just one more thing before you head off." She planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Go kick that guy's ass for all of us."

Darius nodded as he ran towards the cathedral doors. Any other mages who tried to stop him were either diverted or killed by an onslaught of rock, fire, lightning or ice as the cardinal hero arrived at the apparent entrance to the magically generated structure. 'Alright,' he thought, 'if the rules for this weapon really are almost the same as all the other replicas then we've got a chance, so here goes!' The Armory Hero put his hands against the door and pushed with all his might. His efforts were quickly rewarded as the doors seemed to almost fly open, allowing him to step in with a feeling of surprising confidence.

"What, but how?" Questioned the voice of the Pope from seemingly everywhere as Darius took stock of the situation. Naofumi, Raphtalia and the rest of his party looked worse for wear with the girls even having burns on them while the Shield Hero was wearing an even more menacing version of his curse series armor. Motoyasu's party was clearly panicking while the Spear Hero himself, as well as Ren and Itsuki were all looking around in confusion. The Armory Hero quickly figured out why as he glanced up and saw that all of the walls were producing some kind of kaleidoscope image of the pope using the replica weapon in its bow form.

"Illusory Arrow, now that explains someth-," the Armory Hero was interrupted as he instinctively raised his arm to block an oncoming glowing arrow, only to feel no pain whatsoever as it embedded itself in his band before disappearing. A few more arrows impacted against him, something he looked at quite curiously before the Pope's voice rang out again.

"Very well, I'll dispose of you first right hand of the devil!" He declared as arrow after arrow shot out of the wall from seemingly every direction.

"Darius!" Yelled Melty and Raphtalia as the shower of arrows impacted at the area he was at, kicking up a mass of dust with each hit until the barrage ceased after a few moments.

"You see, he wisely accepted his fate and-what," the Pope's gloating stopped midsentence as the dust cleared to reveal that not only was the Armory Hero still alive, but was practically uninjured as he nonchalantly brushed some dirt off of his shoulder.

"Well this is gonna make talking a bit of a pain, so let's cancel skill for now," said Darius as he snapped his fingers. Immediately the rotating images of the pope disappeared as the inside of the cathedral changed back to its original dull green.

"I-impossible," said the real Pope as he reappeared not far from Darius, "How can you deactivate one of this weapon's skills and how were you able to breach the cathedral?!"

"Seems you know as much about that weapon as you do about God," remarked The Armory Hero as he pointed at the replica, "The same mana that is running through it right now is also running through me, which is likely why I was able to enter. Now how could I be getting the mana from that weapon in the first place you ask, well that's actually the simple part. You see what you're using right now in your attempt to end the cardinal heroes was made by my predecessor about two hundred years prior. In other words, if all your religious talk is true then you're wielding a weapon created by the one you so casually refer to as the right hand of the devil."

"You know nothing!" exclaimed the Pope as he reformed the replica into its sword form and conjured a massive flame which took on the shape of a bird. "This is the weapon that shall purify the shield and all of his evil, Phoenix Blade!" As the powerful attack shot forward, Darius stood unafraid as the flames washed over him before lifting up his arms and absorbing the attack into the jewels on his bands. As before, he stood without a single burn or injury to his person despite taking a direct hit.

"I know one thing," he said as he began to slowly walk forward, "just as the other cardinal heroes cannot wield a weapon outside of their class, it's an ironclad rule that no matter how powerful it is the Armory Hero cannot be harmed by one of his own replicas. My predecessor knew that when he first created it with the help of the cardinal heroes of his time which is why he didn't fear giving away something so powerful."

"Stay away from me demon!" yelled the Pope, who'd been losing his composure more and more the closer Darius approached until finally he switched the weapon to spear form and charged at him with its version of meteor spear. But the Armory Hero didn't even flinch this time as he grabbed the glowing gold spear right behind its head, dispersing the attack as his enemy looked on in shock.

"But now you've gone and corrupted the purpose of a weapon meant to help the people fight the waves," said the Armory Hero with narrowed eyes as his voice took on an edge, "you even perverted the once noble history behind it to serve your own ends. You're no better than the king or the countless other self-serving shitheads we've come across since arriving in this world! Which is why I'm taking this back: State of Emptiness!" The weapon glowed brighter as the Pope lost his grip on it and was sent flying back several feet.

"How, how is this possible," said the false holy man as he staggered back to his feet, "I am an apostle of God, one of the select few with the right to wield such a divine weapon. What sort of demon trickery is this?" Darius simply sighed.

"You think you understand God's will but why don't I let you in on a little secret," said the cardinal hero as he held up the replica weapon, "when you used this weapon for your little attempt at only summoning three of the heroes, it didn't fail. No you actually succeeded in summoning me to the temple of the original Armory Hero, which means all this supposed B.S. happening to you right now, it's your own fault. You tried to manipulate things to your liking while claiming it to be a divine plan of sorts and instead succeeded in sealing your own fate." Darius changed the weapon to sword form and fired upwards then, using the same judgement attack that had been previously directed at him, Ren and Itsuki to blast a hole in the ceiling of the cathedral. "And as much as I'd like to be the one to end your cult leading ass I believe there's someone else here whose been far more screwed over by you than I have."

The Armory Hero turned to his friend, who was currently wielding an even larger version of the rage shield that he noted on his HUD was referred to as the Wrath Shield. "He's all yours Naofumi." The Shield Hero didn't need to be told twice as he raised his cardinal weapon in the air.

"Shield Prison!" exclaimed Naofumi as chains and glowing green shields trapped the Pope before switching his shield to skewer the man with multiple large needles. The cult leader's screams were ear piercing as the sky above the cathedral darkened with a familiar set of red clouds. "Feel the weight of your sins as you're stabbed and skewered within this virgin of cold ore, IRON MAIDEN!" The large torture device descended at his word while the shield prison rose up and entered its open doors.

With a final strangled cry, the Pope shouted out one last plea to his supposed God before being stabbed and crushed to death within the iron maiden's grasp. All that was left as the skill disappeared was a puddle of blood and the Pope's ruined hat. His death also caused the rest of the cathedral to begin dispersing into golden particles that floated away on the wind as his followers looked on in shock and horror before falling to their knees in defeat. The knights brought by the queen began rounding them up immediately as Johann and Rifana quickly made their way over to check on Darius who was himself moving towards the center of the crater.

"Everyone alright," questioned the Armory Hero as Rifana went to hug Raphtalia while Johann converted back to his human form to check on Melty with Filo.

"We survived somehow," said Naofumi with a bit of labored breathing as his armor and shield changed back to normal. "How did you do all of that anyway?"

"I'd like to know that too," said Motoyasu, "we were fighting for our lives against that weapon and then you just come in and brush its attacks aside like they were nothing! Have you been holding out on us this whole time?!"

"It was all a lot of dumb luck to be honest," said Darius as he held up the replica weapon, "you've all seen my replica ability right? Well this thing was a more permanent replica, meaning that little show y'all just witnessed was more or less a one time deal."

"So then that account of it being used by someone for personal gain was-," Melty started to say.

"False, or at least it omitted a few facts thanks to the church," said Darius as he looked at the weapon, "it's a shame too. All my predecessor wanted to do was help the people help themselves, but after seeing this mess." Darius increased his grip on the weapon, causing it to disperse into a number of particles that were absorbed by the jewels on his bands, flooding his mind with more memories and information from the past. "It's probably better that it's never used or made again, at least not so long as there are still people in power like the Pope in this land."

"I think he'd understand," said Raphtalia with a small smile on her face, "if he was anything like you or Master Naofumi, he'd want the people to be happy as well as safe."

"That's great and all," said Itsuki, ruining the moment a bit, "but can you summon that weapon on your own now?"

"Don't worry discount Legolas," said Darius, "I absorbed some of the replicated skills but the weapon itself can't be made again unless you guys are all willing to use your crafting abilities to help it maintain its durability. Which is something we all need to talk about later."

"Indeed there is much to discuss," said the armored woman from earlier as she approached the group with an escort of guards. Naofumi was quick to recognize the similarities between her, Melty and Malty.

"Mother, you're here," said a surprised, but also very relieved Second Princess.

"Yes and I'm terribly sorry I could not be here sooner," said Melty's mother as she stopped in front of Darius and Naofumi. "As you've no doubt guessed I am the sovereign ruler of Melromarc, Queen Mirelia Q. Melromarc. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance heroes."

"Yeah nice to meet you too-guh," the Shield Hero groaned as he nearly collapsed to one knee, only managing not to thanks to Raphtalia and Filo.

"Master Naofumi, are you alright?" Questioned a worried Raphtalia.

"Just overused the curse series a bit I think," Replied Naofumi, "and took a beating during that fight."

"We all did," said Melty as she turned to her mother, not having to voice the question on her mind.

"Indeed you've all been through a great deal thanks to Pope Biscas T. Balmus," agreed the Queen, "but fear not, we shall see to all your wounds and other needs immediately. As well as address some serious issues."

Unknown Ruins: Time unknown

'This place seems vaguely familiar,' thought the Armory Hero as he walked among the rubble of a city that had clearly been destroyed centuries ago. It was only thanks to the great mass of rubble that he even recognized that it was once a city at all with the overgrown vegetation and trees covering much of the area. But for whatever reason, he knew without a doubt that this place used to be a city just as he knew which direction he was supposed to be headed in. So he walked along, glancing to his left and right occasionally whenever the wind blew the grass or an animal darted across his path. But all life, plant and animal, seemed to stop as he reached his destination: a stairwell in the ground leading down to a pair of massive doors.

An ominous presence seemed to hang over the doors as he glanced back towards his companions. Rifana and Johann were both there as well as Figneria and, surprisingly, Fitoria as well. Each of them gave a nod and a reassuring smile, not even having to voice their support for his decision. With a nod of his own the Armory Hero stepped forward down the stairway and approached the doors.

The Clinic of the Royal Family: Private Quarters

Darius's eyes opened slowly as he rose slightly from his position on the bed. Expectedly it was comfortable compared to what he'd been sleeping on recently and the sheets were of an incredibly fine make. But what made it most comfortable of all was the presence of his lovely companion snuggled up against him under the covers. Both of their parties had been brought here by the Queen who'd made sure the best healing magic was applied to all of them, but most especially Naofumi as some of his wounds were the result of awakening the curse series Wrath Shield abilities. Funnily enough, this led to a little argument between Filo and Johann about who got to spend time helping Melty with the Shield Hero's recovery.

Rifana, deciding to be clever and just a bit mischievous, suggested they both help Melty and spend the night in the room with her and Raphtalia to keep Naofumi safe. This of course wasn't necessary given that some of the Queen's personal guard and her shadows were watching the clinic to insure no one made a move against the heroes, but it did free up some alone time for the both of them. Time they used to relieve a little bit of the stress from the last several days of being on the run and nearly dying a few times. "Is it time to get up already," mewled Rifana as her eyes slowly opened and she peered up at Darius.

"Well just because we're awake doesn't mean we have to go anywhere just yet," he replied, "I doubt Naofumi's getting lonely with two girls plus Johann and Filo's antics."

"Oh that makes me want to get out of bed even less," said Rifana with a yawn, "I'll just wait 'til breakfast is ready I think." The Armory Hero was about to reply to that when another voice sounded at the door.

"Sir Hero," said one of two nurses who'd seemingly appeared at the door.

"Yes! What can I do for the both of you," said Darius as he hastily hid Rifana under the covers while adjusting himself to seem as if he was the only one in the room.

"Her highness the Queen wishes to have a meeting with you in the Shield Hero's quarters," replied the nurse, "It would be best if you headed that way as soon as possible I daresay."

"Yeah I'll be right there," said Darius, "I'll just need a second to make myself look decent."

"Of course Sir Hero," said the other nurse as they both bowed and left the room.

"I daresay," whispered Rifana as she poked her head back out from under the covers.

"Yeah that was no nurse," replied Darius, "One of the Queen's shadows has a habit of using the phrase 'I daresay' a lot. I guess I shouldn't be surprised we're still under surveillance."

"You don't think they surveyed too closely do you?" Questioned a now somewhat embarrassed Rifana.

"Let's not think about that right now," said the Armory Hero as he summoned most of his outfit, minus the gauntlets, scarf cape and belt, "It sounds like we've got some more important issues to deal with at the moment." Rifana agreed with a nod as she gathered her own clothes. The two left the room as soon as they were dressed and headed over to where Naofumi and the others had been since yesterday, finding them all out on the balcony of the clinic's second floor.

"Ah, thank you for joining us Sir Armory Hero and you as well Lady Rifana," said the Queen, who was currently wearing a somewhat casual red dress with long sleeves and a pointed collar on the back which denoted her royal status along with the crown on her head.

"Took you both long enough," commented Naofumi who was currently leaning against the stone railing with only a black long-sleeved shirt, green pants and boots on. His shield was ever present as always.

"Says the guy who didn't even have to walk to the meeting place," replied Darius, "How you holding up by the way?"

"My wounds are all gone thanks to the magic healers here and I'm more than back on my feet," said Naofumi as he examined some of the bandages on his arms and torso, "but I still got a bit of internal damage from the curse series that's reduced my Stats temporarily. I gotta wait about a week or so for it to heal up."

"I guess that's one of the drawbacks of the curse series Fitoria mentioned," said Darius, "It's probably thanks to her that the damage wasn't worse."

"No kidding," said Naofumi as he got a bit more serious and turned back to the Queen, "Anyway, we're all here now and you promised me some answers."

"Yes indeed," said the Queen with a sigh as she looked out over the kingdom, "You see I was absent from the kingdom all this time because I was attending an international forum. Our goal was to devise a strategy for how best to defend against the waves. In the end it was decided that each major nation would summon a single hero, allowing all four of us to fight united against the waves. But the situation took a drastic turn, because by the time that decision had been reached the king had already summoned the four cardinal heroes after his failed attempt to have the church summon them brought forth the Armory Hero instead."

"Given what the letter Melty gave to me said, the king had hoped to have some deniability by letting the church summon them," said Darius.

"Yes, but it would still not have stopped the other countries from becoming enraged," said the Queen, "His reckless action forced me to travel around much of the world, putting out many fires along the way."

"So King Trash and Princess Bitch summoned us without any approval from you," said Naofumi.

"They shouldn't have had the power to even make such a decision in the first place," explained the Queen, "I left the honorable lord of the Seaetto region in charge for the express purpose of preventing such a possibility. But he was tragically killed during the first wave and in my absence the king assumed command."

"Well that certainly explains a good bit," said Naofumi.

"Yeah but it still doesn't explain why he was an asshole to the Shield Hero and only the Shield Hero in the first place," commented Rifana.

"Rifana," scolded Melty, "that is no way to talk in front of Moth-I mean the Queen."

"It's quite alright Melty," said the Royal woman with a smile, "and I'm also happy to see you've taken to being yourself a little more, no doubt thanks to your time with the Shield and Armory Heroes."

"M-Mother!" exclaimed an embarrassed Melty as her face turned a bit red.

"That is something we've all been wondering though," said Darius, "My party and I were only guilty by association, and because we helped wreck some of the trash king's plans against Naofumi. But why exactly does he have a beef with a cardinal hero in the first place?"

"It is not so much you as the previous Shield Hero that Aultcray hates," explained the Queen, "The Three Heroes Church used that hatred to manipulate him."

"So he's getting back at the previous Shield Hero by punishing me," Naofumi more stated than asked.

"Malty's own attempts to ensnare you made things all the worse," added the Queen.

"So if everything had gone to plan, I probably wouldn't even be here and Naofumi would've been summoned to a country that didn't hate his guts," summarized Darius.

"Quite right," affirmed the Queen, "If you had been summoned to Siltvelt, a demi-human country for example, you would've been revered and practically worshipped by them."

"When you put it like that I got little reason not to head that way," said Naofumi as he directed his next comment to Darius, "Maybe they've actually heard of the Armory Hero over there too."

"Not that I was planning on being worshipped any time soon," said Darius, "but it would be cool to find out."

"Should the two of you decide to leave, Melromarc has no right to stop either of you," said the Queen, "but before you leave I would like to ask that you stay long enough for me to clear your names and end the torment you've been suffering. You've been a pariah here for too long Sir Shield Hero and it will end. We shall also reward the both of you for fighting the waves and eliminating the treasonous Three Heroes Church with the greatest honor our kingdom has to offer along with five hundred gold pieces as a bonus."

"Isn't that wonderful Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia as their party's faces lit up in glee at the news.

"Can we buy a lot of food with five hundred gold pieces," questioned Filo.

"We could feed a full-sized dragon with that much gold!" Said Johann as he and Filo both cheered.

"There is also one other matter I'd like to discuss with the two of you in private," said the Queen. The two cardinal heroes didn't miss the slightly ominous vibe behind her words but decided to go along with her request.

"Rifana, Johann," said Darius, "why don't the two of you go get something to eat. We'll be in shortly."

"Filo and Raphtalia should come along as well," said Melty, picking up on the hint, "I know where the kitchen hides the best meats." Filo and Johann cheered again before racing inside, followed by the other three girls. When the Queen was certain they were alone, she spoke up again.

"Is all that I've offered enough for the two of you, or do you perhaps wish for more," she questioned.

"It's way too generous actually," said Naofumi, "which is why I'm certain there's some kind of a catch with all of it." The Queen gave a knowing smile.

"Without the two of you Melromarc has little hope of surviving the uncertainties that lie in the future," said the Queen.

"You might be able to convince Darius to stay but not me," said Naofumi, "from this point on I'm going where the waves are to fight them off." 'And maybe I'll finally get myself out of this world.'

"I understand," said the Queen, "then would the both of you consider a visit to the castle tomorrow before leaving?"

"What's the occasion?" Asked Darius, admittedly curious.

"You'll have a chance to clear your names," said the Queen, "It shall be broadcast before the entire kingdom."

"And what about Trash and Bitch?" Questioned Naofumi with a bit of interest.

"They shall be dealt with, harshly," she said as the Armory Hero noticed her hand trembling on the stone railing. She looked like she was thinking how best to say her next words, but was interrupted as a thought came to the cardinal hero.

"If that's the case, maybe we should go today and tomorrow," said Darius as he rubbed his chin with a slight grin coming to his face, "Where are the King and Malty right now?"

"At this moment they would still be in the middle of breakfast," said the Queen, "I've been keeping Malty under house arrest. She is unable to leave the castle or interact with any of the heroes currently. Why do you ask?"

"I just got an idea that might be fun for the both of us if her highness will allow it of course," said Darius, "Naofumi, are you up for a trip to the throne room?"

Said Throne Room of the Castle of Melromarc: A Short Time Later

King Aultcray Melromarc was not in the greatest of moods. It wasn't that he was angry, rather he was just unsure at the moment as he and Malty continued to walk down the main hallway of the royal castle towards the throne room. "Father," said his eldest daughter Malty, breaking him out of his thoughts, "have you been able to speak with Mother yet? Those blasted guards still won't let me leave the castle or even this floor."

"I've been trying dear Malty but she's not accepting any of my requests," replied Aultcray, "I've barely even had the chance to lay my own eyes on her since she returned. Worse, I haven't the slightest clue as to what she's thinking right now."

"She can't just ignore us like this," said Malty as the guards opened the two large doors to the throne room for them, "I'm her daughter after all so why is she being so-what in the world is that noise?" As if in answer, said noise rose greatly in volume once they were halfway to the other side of the room.

"I'M A BITCH I'M A BITCH YEAH THE BITCH IS BACK!" The two royals grabbed their ears in confusion as they looked towards the source of the noise, the two thrones, where a pair of familiar figures was currently seated.

"What up dickheads," said Darius as he switched off the noise from his replica Gengar shield and sent it away, "nothing like a little Elton John to help one wake up in the morning, don'tcha think?"

"You two!" exclaimed the King angrily at the nonchalant way the two of them were sitting on the royal thrones. Both had their full hero outfits on and were making a show of looking extra comfortable.

"It's nice to see you got a replacement for the one Darius blew a chunk out of Trash," said Naofumi, "though after switching between the two a couple times I think the Queen's throne is a bit more comfortable, less hot air."

"You dare to lay your filthy hands on the thrones of Melromarc!" Screeched Malty.

"And our feet too," said Darius as he propped his boots on the armrests of the king's throne.

"Gotta say though, really not a lot of room to stretch out on these things," Said Naofumi with an actual smirk on his face as he watched the king and his whore of a daughter's face twist into sneers. "But I guess that's why the royals always lean forward."

"Enough!" Said Aultcray as he pointed at the two cardinal heroes while addressing the guards in the room, "Why are you all just standing there?! Seize these miserable vermin and remove them from my throne at once!"

"You heard 'em boys, seize the vermin," said Darius as the guards advanced forward with their spears leveled at the throne, before grabbing a hold of the king and first princess.

"W-what are you fools doing?! Arrest them!" exclaimed Malty as she and Aultcray were forced to their knees with shackles clamped on their wrists.

"It's not your throne anymore," said Naofumi, "Or I guess to be more accurate, it was never your throne in the first place."

"You will both answer for this affront!" declared the King.

"We aren't the ones with a lot to answer for," said Darius as he glanced behind the two royals, "wouldn't you agree your majesty?"

"Wholeheartedly," said Mirelia Q. Melromarc as the color drained from Aultcray and Malty's faces. The two looked back in fear as the Queen made her next declaration. "Take them away to the dungeons! For tomorrow, the trial of the Foolish King Consort and the First Princess shall begin!"

**Boba Fett once said justice is a patient hunter, and it has found its prey at last in the form of Pope Biscas and the two royals responsible for all the suffering! Beware for the Queen has returned and she is not happy! But putting all that aside for a moment, I'd like to say hello again everyone and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. As per the usual, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Malty and Aultcray's crimes are laid bare before the nation along with some surprising witnesses to their deeds. 'Til then. **


	24. The Revenge of the Victims

**The Revenge of the Victims**

**Hello and Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Now first things first as they say, answering guest reviews: To our first guest: agreed the kingdom would've done much better with a wiser ruler. And to Sum9: I know not technically a guest review but I still felt like saying how on point your request for this chapter is gonna be. Now onto the story!**

Outside The Royal Palace of Melromarc: Close to Midday

An extremely large crowd had gathered outside near the gates of the castle in the center of the city, all of whom were gossiping and wondering what the occasion was. What little was known for sure was that the Queen had returned and had a very important announcement to make. It was for this reason the event was being broadcast to the entirety of the kingdom as mages were using crystal balls to project large images of the throne room to all the gathered people. A number of citizens had already heard about the downfall and current dismantling of the Three Heroes Church as the guards were still in the process of rounding them all up. But many questions still remained about what the Queen wished to say at this time and while most were quietly gossiping or murmuring about it, some were a bit more vocal.

"Hey what gives?!" Yelled a rather unruly man in knight's armor, "Why are only the Shield and Armory Hero's parties allowed in the castle today?!"

"Sir Mald you have to calm down a bit," said Rishia as she grabbed a hold of his arm and tried to pull him back.

"Not until I get some answers!" yelled the armored man as he threw Rishia off of his arm. The girl stumbled a few feet until a helpful pair of hands managed to catch her at the last moment.

"Looks like you've got quite the unruly party member," said a feminine voice that the green-haired girl recognized.

"Hey, what are you all doing here?!" She said happily as she embraced the one who caught her.

"Let's just say our leaders called for us," replied the girl as she indicated the group behind her, "we're going to help out with what's about to happen. Come to think of it, you were there when that fire was lit in the forest weren't you?"

"I was with Darius and the Shield Hero's party at the time," replied Rishia, "It's a bit of a long story how I wound up there."

"Well maybe you can tell it inside," said her friend, "we need all the witnesses we can get at this point, so come on." She then proceeded to walk up to one of the guards and said a few words. Rishia was able to catch that they were here at the request of the Armory Hero. The guard nodded and allowed them all through, including Rishia.

"Wait a second, why are you letting them in now?!" Exclaimed Mald angrily before being warned to shut up or else by the remaining assembled guards. Meanwhile, said Armory and Shield Heroes were currently making their way up the stairs to the throne room.

"That's a rather large crowd outside," observed Raphtalia as they climbed the stairs.

"Makes me wonder how often they do these sorts of things," added Rifana.

"I just wanna know what happened to Mel," said Filo, "she went off with some knights as soon as we got here."

"She's prrobably with her mother at the moment," said Naofumi as they stopped at a split in the stairs, noticing something on the right flight. The other three cardinal heroes.

"Glad to see you're both doing well," said Itsuki with a, for once, friendly expression.

"I guess even an overpowered move like yours can take its toll," Said Ren, addressing Naofumi.

"It messed up my insides a little," replied Naofumi, "but I should be back to a hundred percent in another few days."

"By the way," said Motoyasu, "have any of you seen Myne around recently? I heard she was at the castle but I haven't been able to find her anywhere since yesterday."

"Given the attempted coup, I imagine she's been quite busy with her duties as a Princess," said Ren before either Darius or Naofumi could answer.

"Maybe she's decided to put together some kind of surprise party for all of us," said Ren somewhat excitedly, "like a thank you for us taking down the Pope!"

"Oh it's a surprise alright," said Darius, wondering if he should be smirking or not, "and there'll definitely be enough people for a party. But the occasion is, well, it'd be better if you saw for yourselves." Without another word, Darius, Naofumi and their parties proceeded into the throne room with the other three heroes behind them. Rifana, Raphtalia and the others were directed to stand to the side as the five cardinal heroes stood in front of the throne.

The Queen was present in the left throne with Melty standing on her left hand side as she gave a polite wave to Johann and Filo. "The five cardinal heroes," said the Queen, "I'd like to thank you all for coming today."

"Hey Myne's not here," whispered Motoyasu, quickly noting the first princess's absence.

"And isn't the King usually here for this sort of stuff too," added Itsuki.

"Yes you've no doubt noticed some absences in the room today," said the Queen, easily picking up on the chatter before turning to one of the guards, "bring the accused in." The guards at the back of the throne obeyed and pulled open the doors, revealing another set of guards leading both Malty and the King by their shackled wrists.

"What, Myne what happened?" Exclaimed Motoyasu, hardly believing the sight before him.

"Help me Sir Motoyasu, Please!" begged Myne, still acting as if she was an innocent victim.

"Your highness," Said Ren, "Why are the two of them in chains right now?"

"I would've hoped it was obvious," replied the Queen, "these two are here to answer for the many crimes they've committed. Starting now is the trial of the First Princess and the Foolish King Consort!" The only three people not showing some degree of surprise about all of this was Darius and Naofumi.

Working quickly, the guards set up a pair of podiums while Malty continued to whine feebly. "Why are you doing this to us Mother? What have we done to deserve this cruelty?!"

"My Queen this is madness, what reason have you to put us in chains-?" Aultcray had been leaning more and more forward until the guards in front of him crossed their spears, silencing his protests.

"With the five cardinal heroes acting as witnesses," said the Queen, ignoring her family member's protests, "this trial shall seek to punish those responsible for nearly bringing disaster to the country as well as other nefarious misdeeds. As Melromarc's Queen, I will serve as judge for this trial."

"This is an outrage!" exclaimed Aultcray, "Has the devil of the shield and his right hand actually managed to brainw-AAAAH!" The former king was silenced as the Queen lifted up her hand and almost effortlessly created a prison of ice up to his shoulders.

"The Shield Hero does not possess such a power and never has," said the Queen, clearly not in the mood for excuses, "It's unbelievable I even have to say such a thing given that you should know better than anyone." A guard came up to her side then with a tray of items that were very familiar to at least the Shield and Armory Hero's groups.

"What are you going to do with those?" Questioned Malty fearfully as she was forced to her knees.

"In order to insure the trial proceeds justly and fairly you shall be given a slave crest," explained the Queen as she slit her finger with the dagger and put a drop of her blood into the purple concoction.

"But she's your own daughter!" exclaimed Motoyasu as he reached for his spear, "You can't-huh." The Spear Hero turned his head, noticing that a small portal had opened with a clawed chain grasping his weapon.

"You'd best listen to the Queen's reasoning before doing anything hasty," urged Darius.

"It is a necessary precaution as my daughter is a pathological liar," explained the Queen as the mage applying the seal got to work.

"But Mother you know I'm a good girl and honest too," pleaded the First Princess.

"Then this shouldn't hurt a bit," Said Rifana before Myne let out a pained yell from the slave crest activating and etching itself onto her chest, "except for that part." The two criminals were then led to the podiums while Darius released Motoyasu's spear and the five cardinal heroes went to separate sides of the throne. Darius and Naofumi stood with their parties while the other three heroes stood opposite them.

"The trial can now officially begin," said the Queen, "Remember your crimes are clear for all to see. You will not worm your way out of this."

"But you can't convict either one of them without an explanation," said Motoyasu, "What so-called crimes have they committed?!"

"That's what the trial's for," said both Darius and Naofumi with a sigh before the Armory Hero got an idea. "Uh, your highness, might I ask a preliminary question to insure the crest is working as it should be?" The Queen nodded in agreement as Darius turned to the accused Princess. "Okay Malty here's the question: I heard Motoyasu cooks for you and the party, but apparently you actually think it sucks. Do you dispute this?"

"Listen here you imitator!" Said Malty, "I've never once said Sir Motoyasu's cooking is b-AAAAAAAAAH!" Predictably, the slave crest activated and shocked the First Princess with a healthy dose of purple electricity.

"Oh I'm gonna get an unhealthy level of enjoyment out of this," said Darius as the Spear Hero looked on in confusion.

"Now then," said the Queen, "Just starting with recent events where the Pope attempted to misuse a replica holy weapon to murder the cardinal heroes while framing the shield hero. But he was killed in this endeavor and now the fractured remnants of the Three Heroes Church are being rounded up this very moment."

"What in the world does that have to do with them?" Questioned Motoyasu.

"Because both the King and the Princess committed the appalling act of colluding with the Three Heroes Church. Do you dispute this charge?"

"Why in the world would I collude with the Three Heroes-AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Malty was very quickly silenced as she was again electrocuted by the crest easily detecting her lie. A number of gasps were heard from not only Motoyasu but the many gathered nobles in the balconies above.

"It is reprehensible that the first princess would try to overthrow the state like this," said the Queen.

"But they tried to kill me too!" exclaimed Malty, "I don't care that they tried to murder the Shield and Armory but they did try to murder the other three heroes! I would never involve myself in such a terrible plot as that!" Surprisingly, the crest didn't activate to this statement.

"So she really didn't do anything wrong after all," said Motoyasu with a hopeful tone.

"Don't sound too optimistic," said Darius as he held up his fingers, "that's still two lies to one truth so far."

"Indeed I seem to recall you planned to assassinate Princess Melty and frame the Shield Hero and his friends for the murder, do you deny this as well?" Said the Queen.

"I didn't raise a hand against my si-AAAAAAARGH," again the crest activated, stopping Myne midsentence from completing another lie.

"But Malty, surely you didn't," said Aultcray, just as surprised as a number of other people in the room. 'Well at least Melty was right about him not being in on the assassination attempt.' Thought Darius as the First Princess tried to deny it again and was electrocuted yet again.

"It's clear now that you conspired with the Church hoping they would kill Melty and leave you as the sole remaining heir to the throne," said the Queen, "and when your initial attempt failed you falsely accused the Shield and Armory Heroes of kidnapping her while also setting fire to the forest they'd escaped into. Will you deny this claim as well?"

"She's my own little sister," said Myne, "I would never try to-AAAAAAAAAAH!" The shocks actually seemed to be getting slightly more intense with each lie as Malty was now hanging onto the podium panting heavily. While this was happening, Rifana happened to notice a bit of nervous movement among some of the guards, specifically one certain one.

"Is something the matter captain?" Questioned the weasel girl as everyone followed her gaze. It was the same guard captain who'd nearly hit her, Naofumi and Raphtalia with a blast of flaming arrows during the second wave. The one who'd also boasted about his nonexistent exploits. "Is it possible you have a little more to add to all of this?"

"I-it wasn't me!" exclaimed the mustached guard captain as he tried to turn and run, only to be quickly seized and forced to a kneeling position by the other surrounding knights. "It was my orders from the First Princess! She's the one who wanted us to burn down the forest and she was intentionally aiming for the second princess! I was just doing what I was told!"

"Wow what a wuss," commented Johann as another set of murmurs went through the gathered nobles at this latest revelation.

"It makes a lot more sense now," said Ren, "the reason Malty followed after me and not Motoyasu when we were pursuing Naofumi was to kill her sister." Even despite the evidence and Itsuki's agreement the Spear Hero still looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"And you conspired with the church as well King Aultcray," said the Queen, gaining her husband's attention. "While I was away you initially allowed them to try their own hand at the ritual to insure you had some deniability. When the attempt failed or rather summoned the now named Armory Hero to a different location, you used the royal mages to summon them here yourself."

"I did what I had to in order to protect this kingdom from the coming waves of catastrophe!" Declared the King, "And they were hardly here a day before the Shield committed his unspeakable sin against our daughter!"

"That's right we never got any answers about that," said Motoyasu, "why did you assault Myne?!" Darius and Naofumi simply sighed at this while the rest of their party glared in the Spear Hero's direction.

"Why don't we ask Malty what happened that night," said the Queen as she turned her attention back to her daughter, "Did such an act actually occur that night?"

"Yes, the devil of the shield tried to force himself on me and-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" This particular shock was extremely potent as the lying first princess fell backwards onto the floor.

"W-what, no," said Motoyasu as even the other two heroes next to him had looks of complete shock plastered on their faces. "There has to be some mistake."

"I guess you three didn't give any further thought to what I said during our first meeting," said Darius with his arms crossed, "a quick review then: the supposed victim here didn't show the slightest bit of fear or unease at being in the same room as her supposed attacker. Then there's the fact that she met you at the bar fully clothed and with a gift to boot. But according to the so-called evidence she should've been in her nightgown, which was found torn at the scene of the crime along with her other belongings, at the time she was attacked before rushing over to you. I also happened to hear a report recently from some of the regular patrons who were there on the night of Naofumi's supposed drunken attempt on her *snort* chastity. The Shield Hero didn't have a single drop of alcohol before heading off to his room and wasn't seen again until the next day when the guards came for him."

"But if you really wish to know for sure that she's not lying, I will allow you to form a slave pact with her Spear Hero," offered the Queen.

"Fine, I'll prove her innocence," said Motoyasu after some hesitation as the men who applied the crest stepped fourth and had him add his blood to her seal. "Now tell me the truth Myne, were you assaulted by the Shield Hero the night you came to me for help?"

"Yes I was," said Myne, "I was so frightened I didn't know who else I could-AAAAAAAAAGH!" The Spear Hero recoiled as horrid realization hit him. The crest still shocked her, so she'd been lying the whole time about what happened.

"If you're finally starting to get the message Motoyasu then maybe you'd like to ask the next question as well," said Darius, "ask Malty there what she did with each new party member you recruited."

"What do you mean," asked the Spear Hero, "She said they all left because they felt they didn't fit in."

"Well is that what they said Former First Princess," Darius practically spat the princess part out.

"None of them felt like they really fit in because-AAAAAAAAAAGH!" Malty was electrocuted midsentence again in what was becoming an idiotic streak of stubbornness.

"What, but then what happened to all of them," asked Motoyasu in bewilderment.

"Why don't you ask them yourself," Said the Armory Hero as he pointed to the throne room doors, "let 'em in!" The doors were opened to reveal Rino, Rishia and the rest of the guards who'd helped them in the third wave came marching in with a few other female adventurers, leading the remaining two members of the Spear Hero's party in chains. As the majority of them stopped by the podiums and dropped the Spear Hero's party members on their knees, Rino kept walking towards Motoyasu.

"R-Rino," said a flabbergasted Motoyasu, "what are you doing h-SLAP!" The sound of her hand making contact with the Spear Hero's face rang out in the large throne room as a red print was left from the severity of the slap she'd just given him. "W-what, why did you?"

"Why," repeated Rino as she pointed an accusatory finger at the Spear Hero, "the better question is why didn't you help me?! I called out to you, begging for help and you just walked on by as if you couldn't hear me! You're supposed to be a hero and yet you left me to rot as a sex slave!"

"B-but that can't be," said Motoyasu, "Myne said you went home and-."

"Haven't you been paying attention to this entire trial?!" Rino practically yelled as she indicated the other female adventurers, "None of us went home by choice, in fact some of us never even made it that far. Each and every one of us who questioned the party dynamic was either threatened, forcefully chased away or tricked and sold into slavery by your party members!"

"That's not, tell me it's not true girls," said Motoyasu as he looked at his other two party members.

"It was all Myne's idea," said the party member with a witch's hat on her head.

"Yeah we were forced to go along with it by her," said the other party member, a girl with pink hair tied in a braid.

"Don't try to play innocent," sneered Malty from her shaky position on the floor, "the both of you were more than happy to help get rid of these annoying tramps." The fact that her crest didn't activate was all the proof anyone needed to know that both of her party members were just as guilty in this regard as her.

"But if that's true then how are you, how are any of you here right now?" Questioned Motoyasu. Rino pointed her finger at Darius and the rest of his party.

"The Armory Hero, some unknown that no one had heard of at that point, freed me," replied Rino, "he and his party came when I cried out for help and removed my slave crest. After that, they fed me, helped me get cleaned up and took me home to my family. And after we helped them in the third wave, the Armory Hero gave us all a job to do: find the rest of the party members that your oh-so-beloved princess forced out. At least three of those girls was a slave like me when we found them and freed them. And where were you when all of this was happening? Goofing off and acting a fool with your three bitches without a care in the world, some hero."

Rino turned around in a huff then and walked back to join her other teammates while Motoyasu simply stood there, stunned at the revelation with a slowly fading handprint still on his face. "Just for the record I had no idea she was gonna do that," said Darius, more for the fun of it than anything. The trial continued in this manner for a while with Malty being asked a question then getting electrocuted by her slave crest each time she told a lie. By the end of it, she was on the floor again due to all of the pain.

"I hope this all presents a very clear picture now of their wrongdoings," said the Queen as she tapped her fan on the armrest of her throne, "despite being royalty, the two of them resorted to dirty tactics in order to eliminate those opposing them while only being concerned with obtaining more power without the slightest consideration for the nation they serve." Like a broken record, Myne attempted to say she didn't do it and was electrocuted for her lie by the crest.

"I admit a number of my actions may not have been those befitting royalty," said the King.

"Did it hurt to say that out loud your highness," quipped Rifana. But Aultcray simply sneered and continued as if he wasn't interrupted. "But I swear to you it was all to protect my beloved country and family! That's why I was trying to eliminate the devil of the shield, to prevent the calamity he will surely bring upon my family once ag-!"

"Oh give it a rest already!" Darius nearly yelled, "You betrayed the trust of your own wife and created a volatile political situation for your country just because you didn't want the Shield Hero summoned. Not only that, you decided to put your trust in a religious order you apparently knew very little about for the sole reason that you both hated the same things and look what happened. Both of your daughters were nearly killed by the Three Heroes Church you were so happily cooperating with and if not for the intervention of the cardinal heroes, the Pope would be sitting on that throne right now ready to execute both you and the Queen! From where I'm standing, the greatest threat to your country and family in this room is the old fool with a crown on his head!"

The King ground his teeth at this statement but said nothing as the Queen spoke up. "The time has come for me to deliver my verdict. I find both Aultcray Melromarc the thirty second and Malty Melromarc guilty of high treason and conspiring against the kingdom. I hereby strip them of their royal status and sentence them both to death!" It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did, Malty began to shriek in horror as Melty begged her mother to reconsider. "Your one job was to protect the people and instead you wasted it on a struggle for power and even with the arrival of the waves you still did nothing to help your subjects. Countless people were likely hurt or even killed by your actions and as such cannot be forgiven!"

The Queen turned to Melty for a moment with her next statement. "I know it seems harsh, but surely you saw at least some of the suffering caused by these two while you were out there." Melty didn't answer, but glanced at Raphtalia and Rifana, recalling their stories of anguish before their heroes rescued them. Mirelia Q. Melromarc stood up to address the assembly with her final declaration. "The execution shall be carried out immediately! Let these sinners be put to death in front of all the people they've wronged!"

Flashback: The Day Before

"Whew, I should've requested a crystal ball recording of their reactions," Said Darius, still chuckling as he and Naofumi stood in front of the thrones with the Queen, "The looks on their faces when they walked in, priceless."

"If nothing else we'll have something to laugh about later," agreed Naofumi.

"I'm glad you both enjoyed yourselves," said the Queen, "I do hope you'll hold up your end of the bargain and come here tomorrow."

"How could we say no now that we're in such good moods," replied Darius, "at least I'm assuming Naofumi's in a good mood."

"Best mood I've been in for a while now," Said the Shield Hero, "By the way, is there something you've been meaning to tell us?"

"There is in fact," said the Queen, "You see tomorrow, I shall be ordering the execution of both the King and Malty." Naofumi's eyes actually widened at this as Darius's mood shifted to a much more serious one.

"But aren't they your husband and daughter," Questioned Naofumi.

"Yes indeed," replied Mirelia Q. Melromarc, "But they've committed high treason against the kingdom. Crimes so great that even the Queen cannot save them now. At the moment, only the three of us know about this, but it is another reward I wish to offer to the both of you to atone for the unfair treatment that you've suffered. Now there are some duties I must attend too, so I will let you both think over what's been said here." The Queen then turned and headed towards the exit, though not fast enough to hide the shaking in her hands as she exited the throne room.

Some Time Later: One of the Castle Balconies

"So are you gonna tell me what's on your mind or just stand there looking grumpy," said Darius as he stood with his arms crossed against the stone railing.

"Isn't it obvious," said Naofumi as he looked out at the illuminated city of the night, "the Queen just told us she's willing to kill members of her own family just so we'll agree to help with the waves in Melromarc."

"I think you'll recall said family members were responsible for nearly every problem you've had to put up with since coming here," Darius reminded him, "and even if they weren't, the two assholes managed to create a situation that could've ended in a complete takeover by the Three Heroes Church if not for us and the other heroes. Whichever way you slice it there were crimes committed, so an appropriate punishment needs to follow."

"I know and personally I should be overjoyed at the prospect that the two biggest pains in my life could be gone tomorrow," said Naofumi, "but instead it's nagging at me."

"Which part specifically," asked Darius, "the idea that you're gonna watch two people die tomorrow, the fact that maybe you don't hate them as much as you thought or-."

"Are you kidding?! I've wanted to rip them apart myself for ages now!" Exclaimed Naofumi as he slammed his fist on the stone railing. "But what's bothering me is that the Queen is willing to carry it out in the first place."

"It's because she's the Queen that she has to be willing to carry it out," said Darius, "As a ruler she must show that no one, regardless of their station, escapes justice even if they happen to be royalty or members of her own family." The Armory Hero paused for a moment to let out a sigh. "But I think I see what you're getting at. As a Mother there's likely nothing worse than seeing your own husband and child die, especially when you're the one giving the order."

"So what should we do about it?" Questioned Naofumi, "I got no reason to care but is it really right for us to let a Mother kill her children?"

"You already know my answer as far as this case is concerned," replied Darius, "I want them gone even if I have to do it myself. Those two showed no signs of regret or apology even when the Queen was having them arrested and unless they have a sudden change of heart tomorrow I won't utter so much as a word in support of them. That being said, you're the one the King and his daughter have been trying to screw over this whole time, so if anybody should get a final say in whether they live or die it should be you."

"Well that's helpful," said Naofumi, "the only reason I could see to spare them at this point is if the Queen has a torture set up that's even worse than death."

"This is a medieval society," said Darius, "if I remember my history correctly there are some pretty messed up tortures used during this time period. So if one method isn't good enough for you I'm sure there's two dozen other demented ways the Queen can have them killed. Just know that whatever you do decide, I'll go along with it even if I don't happen to agree with it."

"Thanks, I mean that," Said Naofumi, "Guess I'd best come up with something."

"Feel free to ask me if you need suggestions," said Darius, "Now we'd best get back before the others start to worry."

End Flashback: Execution Site

The location for the death sentence was a sort of square-shaped arena with two levels worth of seats as well as a back row for people to walk through. In the center were a pair of guillotines freshly sharpened for the occasion as their victims stood in front. The gathered crowd jeered and booed the former King and First Princess while Darius, Naofumi, the rest of their parties as well as the other three heroes stood in the very back row to watch the spectacle. "Those who turn against their own country and their people deserve death!" declared the Queen with a bit of hesitation from her own private balcony in the stadium, "this goes especially for royalty and we shall demonstrate that now with the beheading of these traitors!"

That was the signal for the guards to begin as they forced Aultcray and Malty each into the guillotines and secured their heads. "No, no please help me!" Cried the First Princess, not even managing to match her Father's angry but silent composure as she thrashed in the death dealer's hold. "Sir Motoyasu, Motoyasu!"

The Spear Hero looked regretful, but he otherwise said nothing as he turned his eyes from the sight. The former Princess looked around frantically with tears in her eyes for someone, literally anyone who might be willing to put a stop to this, and her eyes landed on the two she hated the most. "N-Naofumi, Darius! Help me please I'm begging you!" The Armory Hero was little more than disgusted with this display, flipping the bird as the guards raised their swords to cut the rope on the Queen's command.

But at the last second, the Shield Hero spoke up as he noticed a movement in the royal balcony. "Hold everything!" He said suddenly, making Darius swear. "I just had something of an epiphany, the death penalty will only bring instant release to these vermin and that's way too light a punishment." The Armory Hero gave an exasperated sigh as he followed Naofumi down into the center of the stadium, listening as he continued his speech. "I imagine you all noticed her slave crest didn't activate just now when she was begging us for help. Can you believe that, someone so thick-skinned she'd actually beg the people she tried to kill to spare her life and mean every word of it?!"

"Tell me Darius, do you think the guillotine will even be able to cut through her neck if that's the case?" Asked Naofumi loud enough for the whole stadium to hear, causing several members of the crowd to laugh.

"Well now that you mention it I'm a bit doubtful myself," said Darius, deciding to play along, "I suppose you've got something better in mind?"

"Lifetime humiliation," replied the Shield Hero as he pointed to Aultcray, "the King here can go by the name 'Trash' from now on and the First Princess gets to go the rest of her days with the name 'Bitch!'"

"But that's not my name!" exclaimed Malty with clear embarrassment.

"Well get used to it because it's your new name for life," replied Naofumi with his own mischievous grin, "Or you can die now. Darius has even offered to cut the ropes himself."

"Just say the word," added the Armory Hero as he conjured and twirled a saber in his hand.

"I feel I should mention Malty tends to use the alias Myne when adventuring," said the Queen.

"Well 'Bitch' needs an alias too, how does 'Whore' sound," said the Shield Hero with a snap of his fingers.

"So it shall be," declared the Queen, "the Shield Hero has granted the greatest of mercies to his oppressors this day! Now I must ask you as one who has also suffered due to these two, Sir Armory Hero, is this punishment enough for you as well?"

"Almost," said Darius as he held up two fingers, "I'd like to add two extra things since we've decided not to kill them today. One: Your healers will leave Bitch's face alone and the second is this: Rino, you and the girls get down here!" The female adventurers did as asked and entered the center of the stadium, waiting expectantly for what was to come. "I promised those hurt by Whore here some justice and I'm gonna make sure they get it. So today they'll get to beat her into a pulp, without killing her, while the King watches!"

"Very well," said the Queen as she signaled the guards to pull the now named Bitch out of the guillotine and threw her at the feet of Rino and the others, who wasted no time in beating the ever-living shit out of the former Royal while the crowd cheered on in glee. With her hands bound, Bitch had no way to cover her face which was quickly turned into a bloody and bruised mess along with the rest of her. By the time the group of former victims were done, a pair of guards had to haul Bitch to her feet and support her so that she wouldn't fall back down. "Was this punishment satisfactory Sir Armory Hero?"

"Just so long as you remember to keep the healers away from her face," replied Darius, "perhaps it will heal in time but let the scars which remain serve as a reminder of what happens when she mistreats the subjects of her own kingdom. And given that I can now legally yell 'yo Bitch!' in the royal assembly hall, I think I can call it good for now."

"Then the last order of business shall be taken care of now," said the Queen as she addressed the crowd, "the root cause of the threat to this country, The Three Hero's Church, shall now be abolished and a new state religion raised in its place: The Five Hero's Church!" The gathered people were quick to agree to this suggestion and showed it by tossing the Rosaries of the Three Heroes Church out into the stadium and in other cases, the trash.

"She really is a shrewd politician," noted Naofumi as the Queen turned and exited the private balcony, "inventing a religion which'll see none of the heroes as a possible enemy."

"I guess if it works," said Darius while rubbing the back of his head, "but I'm saying this upfront, a religious icon I am not."

"Yeah but we're gonna have to play along with at least some of it," said Naofumi as they headed back down the stadium hallway, "The fewer religious nut jobs the better."

"I hear that," said the Armory Hero before he and the Shield Hero were stopped by the other three heroes.

"You two heading off somewhere," Asked Ren as the Queen and Melty approached behind them.

"I mean the celebration is just getting started," added Itsuki.

"I suppose even all of this wasn't enough to convince you to stay," said the Queen, "Will you both at least stay for the ceremony to honor you for your deeds and to have the proper decorations bestowed upon you?"

"None of that crap is gonna make me happy," replied Naofumi as he turned to the Queen, "but I have decided to work with you. I'll work with Melromarc and all the other countries of the world to fight the waves. It is our job as the five cardinal heroes after all." The other three hero's eyes widened as they realized the implication of what he was saying.

"You are of course correct," said the Queen, "but I still feel it isn't right to leave things as they are. If you desire anything further simply say the word."

"Darius and I will think it over," said Naofumi with a shrug while Darius nodded politely and followed after him.

"Aw man I wanted to see some heads roll," complained Johann as the cardinal heroes rejoined their party members.

"What do you mean 'heads roll'?" Asked Filo, "I thought this was some sort of party. Everyone's celebrating right now."

"What do you think those giant blades were for," said Johann as the group kept on walking out of the stadium, "It was supposed to be a double decapitation! Their bleeding heads should've been dropped right in the baskets in front of them!"

"Oh that's so gross!" exclaimed Filo as the mental image flashed in her head, "I don't want to see headless bodies!" Most of the party simply laughed as the Queen watched them shrink into the distance, before dropping a dagger she'd been holding and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Mother, what is this," said Melty as she looked at the royal blade on the ground.

"If the Shield Hero had not stepped in when he had, I planned to offer my own life in exchange for the both of theirs. I wonder if he figured out I'd never have been able to go through with the execution?" Strangely enough, a similar question was being asked by a certain demi-human.

"So are you really okay with them not being executed Darius," questioned Rifana with her hands behind her head as they walked up a flight of stairs, "I know what Naofumi said back there but you're usually about preventing possible future problems."

"I told Naofumi I'd let him decide whether they lived or died," said Darius, "I can't speak for him but from what I could tell he didn't do it for them. He did it so that a Mother wouldn't have to suffer the pain of killing her own children."

"And of course he still has to act like a prick because he doesn't want anyone to think he's nice," sighed Rifana, "I swear it's like a freakin' defense mechanism at this point."

"To be fair the Queen is lucky I left it up to him," said the Armory Hero, "If she had done something drastic like offering her own life for her family I still would've killed Bitch, oh that is gonna be fun to say, because at the end of the day I can't see even the Queen's life as being worth enough to save both of them from punishment. Plus, Whore came up with at least half of the ideas that we had to put up with in the first place."

"I guess only time will tell if what they got will be enough," said Rifana as an interesting sight suddenly greeted the two parties. A crowd had gathered on either side of the passageway out to the streets as an honor guard stood with their swords at the ready.

"Well how about that," said Naofumi as the group walked forward with the cheering crowd on both sides and the guards holding their swords in a position of honor. It was honestly a sight that made the two heroes smile. Both of them had been met with scorn and hostility the first time they'd walked through these gates and now, here they all were being honored as the saviors of the kingdom. It was hard not to be optimistic about the future that day.

**'I feel sorry for the princess.' "Who the fuck said that?! I wanna know who's the slimy little twinkle-toed shit communist cocksucker that just signed their own death warrant!" R. Lee Ermey Quote aside was this anyone else's thought when they read this line in the subbed version? And yes before you say anything I wanted to cut Bitch's tongue out too but I'm afraid we're gonna need it for some more of the story to happen, and get altered. Otherwise, I hope you all got a fair bit of enjoyment out of this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the five heroes sit down and try, very hard, to have a civil conversation about fighting the waves. 'Til then.**


	25. Council of Heroes and Fools

**Council of Heroes and Fools**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the next chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero! But first, let's answer a quick guest review: To Gadget Boy: I have indeed taken these facts into consideration and I'm more than grateful you pointed them out to me in the first place. As for the other guest reviews, they can be answered with this simple statement: Read on to find out!**

Outside the Now Renamed Five Heroes Church

The sun was slowly rising into the sky as Darius yawned while waiting on the steps of the cathedral. Thanks once again to Johann's dislike of anything Filolial-related, namely riding in a wagon pulled by one, the Armory Hero's party had to head out ahead of Naofumi's to insure they arrived at the location around the same time. While Darius had wanted to make the dragon boy carry them in exchange for not riding in the wagon, Rifana was quick to point out that it might draw a bit of attention if they rode a giant winged reptile in the streets. Not that attention was necessarily a bad thing, especially now that their names had been cleared in front of the kingdom, but it would've made the trek to the cathedral take all day if the two parties had to wade through a cheering crowd. So it was eventually decided that the Armory Hero's group would head out a little earlier and the Shield Hero's group would catch up.

Apparently, however, Naofumi was still feeling a bit of the effects from his curse series and was slow to get up that morning. Which meant Darius's party now had to sit and wait for them to show up before going in. Admittedly it wasn't the worse thing ever with Rifana curled up in a blanket with her head resting on his shoulder and Johann asleep against his back but it was still a little inconvenient given that he himself couldn't sleep while keeping watch. But soon enough, the familiar sound of rapidly turning wagon wheels reached his ears as Filo came into view pulling her beloved cart with Raphtalia and Naofumi in tow. "That's our cue, sleeping time's over," said Darius as he gently shook his two companions.

"About time they showed up," said Johann as he rubbed his eyes.

"They're too early in my opinion," yawned Rifana as she stood up and stowed the blanket, "I was enjoying my favorite Armory Pillow."

"Well the pillow needs to get some feeling back in his arm," said Darius, flexing his fingers as Naofumi's party came walking up the stairs.

"Look, they've already altered the symbol Master Naofumi," Raphtalia pointed out as her group reached the top step where Darius and the others were waiting. The rest of them glanced back, having already seen the simple yet monumental alterations with the shield being added in the center and the Armory Bands hanging down from each side of the bow where they connected to the shield. "It'll be a lot different in this country with a symbol showing all five heroes."

"Sure will," said Naofumi, "and now that none of us are outcasts we can upgrade our classes without being harassed." Everyone nodded with Raphtalia making a comment about thanking the Queen as the two parties entered the church. The inside hadn't changed much save for all the symbols being altered, but a little surprise was waiting for them once they say the ones guarding the dragon's hourglass.

"Greetings everyone," said the Young knight who'd helped them in the third wave. He was being assisted in his current duty by the purple-haired mage of the same group. "The Queen entrusted us with the duty of looking after the hourglass. So step right this way and we'll get the class upgrade ritual underway."

"Alright!" Cheered Johann and Filo as they rushed up to the hourglass and put their hands on the base. Rifana and Raphtalia looked to their respective heroes who nodded in assent before they too walked up to the hourglass and put their hands on the base. The giant timekeeper began to glow as information scrolled across their HUDs: Class Upgrade unlocked.

The Throne Room of the Queen of Melromarc: Later That Day

"I'm sorry to hear that," said the Queen as both the Shield and Armory Hero's parties stood in front of her throne, "It's unusual for a problem to occur with a class upgrade."

"Well the class upgrade worked and all," said Naofumi, "but for some reason all our party members only got a single option for what they upgraded too."

"I have heard that it's possible for the class upgrade process to be affected by certain items," said the Queen with her fan in front of her mouth, "it may very well be what happened to all of you."

"You mean like this cow lick and dragon horns Fitoria gave to our mounts," Questioned Naofumi as he flicked the one on Filo's head, receiving a quick 'hey!' in return.

"As in the Filolial Queen Fitoria?!" Asked the Queen with a sudden tone of excitement.

"You should've been there to see her mother," said Melty, who'd been standing off to the side, with a note of fondness for the memory, "she's indescribably beautiful."

"And what else Melty," asked the Queen as she stood up, "I'd love to know every detail about her!"

"Well her bird form is as enormous as a tyrant dragon and her larger feathers are the color of the sky," replied Melty excitedly, "and she had feathers on her head shaped like a crown. She even let me ride on her head, it was all I ever dreamed it would be!" Her Mother let out a squeal of euphoria upon hearing this.

"Oh it all sounds so wonderful," said the Queen as she squirmed in front of them, "I'm honestly jealous of you sweet Melty. What I wouldn't give for even a single ride upon her head!"

"Hey Boss," whispered Johann, "Is something wrong with her? It can't be normal to get this excited about a Filolial."

"I guess we know where Melty gets it from," commented Naofumi. It was at this point the Queen remembered that she had guests and turned to them with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"My apologies," said the Queen, "I hope you'll excuse my little outburst."

"You know we can come back later if you're, ahem, busy," said Darius.

"No that's quite alright," replied the Queen, "I did call all of you hear to begin with so it's only right I at least tell you the reason."

"I have been wondering that," said Naofumi, "Is something wrong?"

"Oh quite the opposite really," said the Queen, "I happen to be throwing something of a party tonight and I'd like all five cardinal heroes to attend."

"And you couldn't have given us advance notice because?" Questioned Naofumi.

"Would you have come if I had told you the reason I called you here?" The Queen responded as she sat down on her throne. "But the real truth is the party is merely meant to get all of you here. You see there is a matter the five of you need to know about as it could benefit you greatly. This makes it of the utmost importance." 'I guess we're having dinner at the castle tonight,' mused the Armory Hero as the group listened to the plans for the evening.

Halls of the Royal Castle: A Short Time Later

"Alright I'm only saying this once," said Darius, "not a single one of you is to tell the Queen I trained under Fitoria, got it? If that's the way the woman gets after just hearing about a ride on her head I don't wanna imagine what she'll do to a guy who spent a week with the Filolial Queen."

"I think you're exaggerating just a little," said Raphtalia, "she'll just ask for details about your time with Fitoria."

"Yeah while straddling him," added Rifana, "she'd probably lose it just hearing that Darius spent a night with the Filolial Queen nuzzled under his arm."

"Ah I don't want to hear anymore," said Johann with his hands covering his ears, "I've already got enough bad images in my head of that feather head hugging the Boss, I don't need extras!"

"Alright let's all just settle down," said Naofumi, "the real problem here is we couldn't give any of our party members the class upgrades they were hoping for."

"But it's really alright, I don't mind what I got at all," said Raphtalia with her usual friendly smile.

"It's not alright," countered Naofumi, "me and Darius won't always be around to help you. We both want to make sure you're taken care of when we finally have to leave."

"Well that's assum-shit," Darius conjured a dagger and swung around midsentence as a figure came leaping up the stairs, and assaulted his face with a hug that pulled his head into her healthily-sized bosom.

"You're speed has increased a bit my dear student," said the woman, "but it seems you still need a little work on your awareness."

"Mmf, umf," Darius managed to wriggle his head around enough that he could actually breathe, "Figneria?"

"Teacher!" exclaimed Rifana happily as she hugged Figneria, trapping the Armory Hero in the embrace as well and once more burying his face. This time between both women.

"Why are you here booby assassin lady," asked Johann as he pointed his finger at Figneria.

"I'm now officially an envoy of Koteraan," said Figneria as she released Rifana and Darius, the latter of which was taking a few deep breaths with a very red face, "I happened to be dropping by to discuss the next shipment of relief supplies with the Queen when I heard my former students were here. And this must be the Shield Hero and his party, I've heard much about you."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Raphtalia and this is Filo," said the raccoon girl politely while Filo gave a wave and a loud 'hellooooo!'

"And I'm Naofumi, Naofumi Iwatani," said the Shield Hero as he seemed to be taking the whole situation in.

"Rifana told me about how you trained her and even showed me some of what she learned," said Raphtalia, "I've been wanting to thank you for helping my friends ever since I heard about you."

"Well I couldn't just let an inexperienced girl rush after an inexperienced Cardinal Hero," said Figneria, "and I needed a hand cleaning up the monster problem around the mansion. But it goes without saying that these two have exceeded a number of my expectations."

"You're being too kind," said Darius as he rubbed his head, "we couldn't have liberated, well re-liberated, Koteraan without your planning."

"And you're being too modest," said Figneria, "but we can discuss that later. I came up here to tell Darius and Sir Shield Hero that the Queen is ready for them to come to the conference room."

"I guess we'll have to talk later," said Naofumi, "try to enjoy yourselves but remember to behave alright."

"And that goes double for you and Filo," said Darius as he pointed to Johann and the Filolial Queen candidate. Both of them simply 'hmphed' and turned away with their arms crossed as the two cardinal heroes began their trek down the stairs. Naofumi spoke again once they were out of earshot of everyone.

"So that's the weapons master who trained you," said Naofumi.

"Yep, the one and only," replied Darius without turning his head.

"Damn dude, I can see why she was able to persuade you and Rifana so easily," said the Shield Hero.

"Like I said, it was all here idea," replied Darius. While this was happening, their parties were led to a large table Figneria had managed to arrange as the festivities got underway. It was quite similar to the last party they attended at the castle, though this one promised a far lower chance of a sudden duel breaking out, for the moment. What was even more pleasant was the presence of Melty at their table.

"I honestly didn't expect to see either of you again so soon," said Melty, "but I'm glad you could all come."

"Me too," said Filo happily, "Oh, maybe we could go explore the castle later!"

"I vote for tag or hide and seek," said Johann, "that'll really spice things up." The sound of their growling stomachs said otherwise at this suggestion.

"Oh I'm super hungry, what's taking Master and Darius so long to get here?" Questioned Filo.

"They both had an important matter to attend too," explained Figneria, "If I know Sir Armory Hero like I think, I doubt he'll be upset if you go ahead and eat without him."

"Master Naofumi won't mind either," said Raphtalia, "So feel free to dig in you two."

"Okay!" said the mounts happily as they began devouring the pies in front of them. It was a rather cute sight until Melty happened to notice a certain someone entering the kitchen out of the corner of her eye.

Conference Room: About the Same Time

The Five Heroes sat at a round table with Darius and Naofumi on either side of the Queen while the other three heroes sat opposite them, or as opposite as one can sit at a round table. While the Armory Hero was fairly relaxed and the Shield Hero was more or less his usual bored looking self, the rest of the heroes seemed annoyed in a way. "So," said Darius, deciding he might as well speak if no one else was going too, "how you guys doing lately? You seem kind of irritable for having been at another celebration recently."

"I have nothing of note to be irritable about," said Ren in his usual stoic manner.

"Yeah sure you don't," said Itsuki with his own dismissive tone.

"Alright then," said Darius, "how about you Motoyasu? You actually seem like you're rather pissed about something."

"I am," said Motoyasu with somewhat gritted teeth, "and the reason for it is sitting at this table right now."

"But Naofumi didn't do anything," said the Armory Hero, "this is the first time he's even seen you since-."

"I'm not angry at Naofumi I'm angry at you!" exclaimed Motoyasu as he stood up and pointed an accusing finger at Darius. "Do you have any idea what you've done to my reputation?!"

"Given that I have no idea what your usual reputation is I haven't a clue," said Darius, "I figured everyone knew you were an incorrigible flirt by now."

"Well not anymore!" exclaimed Motoyasu as he pointed to himself, "ever since you brought in Rino and all my former party members at that trial all the girls in the kingdom have avoided me! Even the adventurers I'd normally be able to recruit turn down my invitations because they don't think I can protect them!"

"Are you sure you can't just hire a group of mercenaries?" Naofumi pointed out, "I'm sure the reward for fighting the waves would more than compensate them for whatever price they ask."

"Have you ever tried hiring mercenaries before?" Questioned Motoyasu, "There are almost no cute girls among them! The cutest ones are usually the innocent adventurers who are in it for more than just the money!"

"And so we have reached the actual heart of the issue," said Darius, "you're upset because you can't get a party of cute girls to follow you like before. But you do know it's not my fault your last party was composed of nothing but bitches."

"I thought we had already discussed an arrangement on that," said the Queen, "you can have your old party back provided you do as instructed if you're not willing to hire any mercenaries."

"But I can't lead a party of enslaved women!" exclaimed Motoyasu, "that's not something a hero does!"

"Why not," said Naofumi, "It's worked pretty well for me so far. You just gotta be willing to use that crest from time to time."

"I don't want to hear that coming from you," said Motoyasu as he slammed his hands on the table, "you might not be the creep I thought you were but I still find it unbelievable that you'd so willingly enslave two innocent girls!" 'Well this is getting off to a great start,' thought Darius as everyone else was forced to endure the Spear Hero's ranting and raving. Unfortunately, the Shield and Armory Heroes weren't the only ones having trouble getting along with others.

Back in the reception hall, both Rifana and Raphtalia were lost in thought as they mulled over what Naofumi said about the two heroes not being around one day. 'I know Darius said he had no idea whether or not he had a choice in the matter when it comes to staying in this world,' thought Rifana, 'but if he does have a choice, would he still go home anyway?' The musings of the two demi-human girls was interrupted as a bottle was slammed down on their table by a familiar knucklehead in armor.

"Ah that explains the bad taste in my wine," said a clearly drunk Mald, "a couple of filthy demis."

"Can we help you jack wagon," said Rifana with a sigh, really not in the mood for something like this.

"I just want you to remember your place," said Mald, "don't think being with the Shield or that Armory guy makes you special."

"Says the fool who seems to think a suit of armor makes him a man," said Figneria calmly as she sipped her own drink, "Now why not be a good boy and head back to whatever party you lumbered away from."

"How dare you!" said Mald as he slammed his fist on their table, "I'm a member of the great Itsuki's party. In fact," he raised his voice to the whole assembly, "Itsuki's the greatest of all the heroes! With him around we don't need any of the others especially not a disgrace like the Shield or that copycat Armory guy!"

"Sure he's all you need," said Rifana, "if you're planning on messing up another country."

"What'd you say," slurred Mald as he hiccupped between sentences.

"You heard me," said Rifana, "If we really compare the record of accomplishments, the so-called disgrace and the copycat seem to be doing much better. It was Darius that cleaned up your mess in Koteraan by actually making use of the authority and fear granted to a cardinal hero instead of sneaking around trying to be mysterious. And when the country was liberated he actually gave a public apology for deceiving everyone and gave all the credit to Figneria while refusing to ask for any sort of reward."

"But the people stopped him and forced him to take a reward anyway, as well as holding a ceremony to honor his deeds," said Figneria, "true it was my idea to use the Bow Hero's identity but it was only because of Darius that such a plan was even possible in the first place."

"Then there's the third wave," continued Rifana, "where we defended a village for three hours waiting on your oh so great hero to figure out what to do and that's before Naofumi and Darius saved all of your sorry lives at the risk of their own fighting not only a powerful monster but an even more powerful fan lady. I should probably also mention the part where Darius whooped your great hero's ass in a straight up fight that would've ended in a win for him even if Rishia hadn't opened a hole in the ground. Topping it all off is the fact that you're only breathing alcohol breathe on us right now because Darius used the power of the 'disgraceful shield' to save both the Bow and Sword Heroes along with their parties. So from where I'm sitting the disgrace and the copycat are doing a way better job than your hero's glory-hogging ass."

"Those two might've gotten lucky so far," hiccupped Mald, "but you'd best tell them to stay out of our way from here on out or those two cowards are only going to get hurt."

"Oh you think so," said Raphtalia as her grip on the knife in her hand increased significantly, "if anyone's getting hurt first, it won't be either of them." The raccoon girl stood up then and readied her sword. Rifana and Johann were quick to follow as Figneria simply sighed and walked away with her own plate, following after Melty. The situation quickly devolved into an all-out brawl as the mercenary woman and second princess entered the kitchen which currently only had one occupant.

"Pardon me dear sister," said Melty, startling the former first princess as she turned around to show her bruised and scarred face.

"Goodness," said Figneria, "I heard about the punishments handed down by the Shield and Armory Heroes, but it's much more grotesque up close. Though it doesn't help that you clearly have no idea how to properly bandage yourself."

"And just whose pie are you poisoning?" Asked Melty, "Is that one heading to our table? I'm afraid that's a violation of the slave crest." The former first princess could only laugh, well what passed for a laugh with her swelled up jaw, weakly as she knew what was coming next.

Conference Room: About the Same Time

"I suppose now that that's out of the way, we can finally begin," said the Queen as Motoyasu sat in his chair trying to catch his breath from all the recent yelling.

"I guess a good heart to heart would do us all good," said Naofumi, "so what exactly is the big news that's going to benefit everyone here?"

"I've recently received word that Cal Mira Archipelago seems to be active," replied the Queen.

"Are you for real," said Ren as he and Itsuki perked up.

"So then a bonus field is gonna be generated around the island," said the Bow Hero.

"Does that happen often," Questioned Naofumi with similar interest.

"The field is generated around the island of Cal Mira about once a decade," explained the Queen, "while it is up, all experience points gained by adventurers and by the heroes are greatly increased."

"Did you guys seriously not know that?" Questioned Motoyasu smugly.

"You're not exactly in the best of positions to be making fun of someone's ignorance," remarked Darius, getting a growl from the Spear Hero before they were interrupted by Melty entering the room.

"Ah Melty, what seems to be the problem?" Asked her mother. The Second Princess whispered a quick explanation in her ear which actually made her face palm. "It seems skipping the party was a good idea after all. It seems Mal-or rather Bitch was caught by Melty and Figneria attempting to poison food for the Shield and Armory Hero's table."

"She what?!" exclaimed Motoyasu as he stood up from his seat, "are you sure it was My-er I mean Whore?"

"I know my own sister, even if her face is a mess," said Melty, "Sis-or rather Bitch admitted as much after her slave crest shocked her."

"You can confirm it for yourself the next time you see her," said the Queen, "all of your party members already have slave crests so finding the truth should be no issue. Or have you managed to find a new party to follow you?"

"No," said Motoyasu fairly quietly as he sat back down in his seat.

"You know if she's going to keep causing trouble after her life was spared," said Darius to the Queen, "I am gonna pick up where the guillotine left off. So you'd best do an overhaul on the restrictions of her slave crest or else."

"Can we get back on topic now," said Naofumi, "we still got a lot to unpack here."

"And I believe the crux of the problem is quite clear in this case," said the Queen, "my foolish daughter may have driven the initial wedge between most of you, but even with her crimes laid bare and the Shield and Armory Hero's innocence proven you still seem to hold a fair bit of animosity towards each other. This, I believe, is the real reason you haven't leveled up as fast as you could be. So I suggest you all share a bit of what you've learned since coming to this world to help clear the air a bit. It should at the very least make your trip to Cal Mira that much more productive."

"I don't believe that's really necessary," said Ren with a smug expression.

"I already know all I need to know so what's to share," Said Motoyasu.

"Truthfully it all sounds like a waste of time," added Itsuki with a bored tone.

"Yeah you clearly know everything except how to do your jobs," said Darius, "or are you purposely holding back on information like the crafting and weapon copy mechanics because you think we might be able to use them better than you?" A collective 'What' sounded from all three of the heroes as they stood up straighter?

"I believe Sir Armory Hero is merely trying to illustrate what I've been too polite to say," Explained the Queen as she closed her fan, "you see to be perfectly blunt, if things continue as they are now Sirs Naofumi and Darius may survive the next wave but the three of you will not."

"Just what exactly are you trying to say here?" Questioned Ren for the three of them.

"I'd hoped my meaning was obvious," said the Queen, "All three of you suffered defeat in the last wave and given the nature of each one increasing in danger it's very unlikely you'll survive the next one. The only way you'll triumph is if all five heroes rally together. You could say this conference is a way to cultivate the solidarity between you." Darius and Naofumi knew the Queen was right, but whether or not they'd be able to work with the other heroes was just as dependent on them as it was their own willingness to cooperate.

After a few looks were passed between the other three heroes, Itsuki decided to speak up first. "Alright then, why don't we start with where the two of you got those cheat weapons?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now," said Darius as he and Naofumi sighed.

The Reception Hall

The initially calm atmosphere at the start had all but deteriorated into an absolute mess as a pair of adventures each had to hold back Raphtalia and Mald, both of whom were still shouting insults at each other. Their dispute had also sparked a number of other altercations as all five parties were basically fighting to one degree or another. Rifana had long since stopped caring as to whether or not the people she was fighting had insulted her friends, having devolved to simply fighting anyone who rushed at her. Currently she was tossing one unfortunate soul off the stairs while Johann had managed to latch himself onto another member of the Bow Hero's party and was currently alternating between beating him senseless and using his teeth to rip out his hair while the victim kept screaming for someone to get the crazy dragon off of him.

"And here I expected a little more dignity from all of the parties," said Figneria as she and Filo kept to their own corner eating their meal, though Figneria did chop one of the Sword Hero's party members on the side of the neck when he started chanting a spell. "I merely hope those two are making better progress in there than what's happening out here."

Conference Room: About the Same Time

"I've said this before," stated Naofumi, "the shield I use and Darius's bands aren't cheats. We managed to make them strong through a lot of hard work."

"Not to mention these bands wouldn't even be here if not for the four cardinal heroes working together to save their friend," added Darius as he pointed at his left band, "It was also through the combined efforts of the five cardinal heroes that a replica holy weapon was created. So it all adds up to one simple fact: we have nothing to lose by telling each other what we know and everything to gain. So I promise if you tell us your secrets we'll be just as forthcoming with ours."

"What do you think Ren," asked Itsuki, "is it worth it?"

"From what we've been told there really isn't much choice in the matter," replied Ren.

"Yeah fine," shrugged Motoyasu, "I'll even dumb it down for the two of you. Now Darius mentioned the weapon copy system, which basically works by picking up the same type of weapon as your legendary weapon and copying its attributes."

"It was a big help when we started out," continued Itsuki, "It allowed us to get a large number of strong weapons basically for free." 'It probably also helped that King Trash gave you access to the royal armory,' thought Darius.

"So that's really all there is to it, just pick it up," said Naofumi, surprised by this new knowledge.

"Except in my case," said Darius, "I just need to be within a certain visual range. One good long look and I can create a replica."

"It still must be terrible that you didn't know something so simple Nao-," Itsuki started to laugh before Naofumi cut him off.

"Can it and tell me about the crafting system already," said the Shield Hero impatiently.

"As long as you have the correct crafting skill and the recipes, all you need to do is feed the required materials to your cardinal weapon and it'll craft materials for you," explained Ren.

"And to think of all the time I've spent doing that stuff by hand," said Naofumi.

"You should be happy you actually have a crafting system," said Darius, "judging from the memories I absorbed, the Armory Hero's dimensional storage ability replaces it. I guess there isn't really a need when you can pull all your stuff out of midair."

"You can teleport your stuff out of thin air but it looks like you don't actually know about the teleport skill," said Itsuki, "it lets you instantly travel to any location you've visited."

"To think the amount of throw up we could've avoided if we'd known about that," said Naofumi as he rubbed his head.

"Well if you didn't know any of that then you certainly won't know about this," said Itsuki, "the real secret to getting strong quickly and becoming the best in this world. It all comes down to weapon rarity. So if you just focus on that you'll-."

"I thought we agreed not to lie to each other," Ren cut in.

"Weird as it sounds I gotta agree with Ren on this one," said Darius, "rare weapons are great and all but if you don't know how to use any of them you'll still get your ass kicked. I seem to recall kicking yours rather recently despite you having what should've been a better weapon."

"You had help during that fight and you know it!" exclaimed Itsuki.

"Yeah, help after I succeeded in pinning your weapon to the ground," Said the Armory Hero.

"I think the point Darius is trying to make is that the real secret is weapon proficiency," said Ren.

"Oh come on all of you are wrong," said Motoyasu as he stood up from his seat, yet again, "The most important thing is refining your weapon and boosting its Stats!"

"That's crazy talk," said Itsuki, "rare weapons clearly have a higher value!"

"You're making all of that up!" exclaimed Ren as the three heroes commenced to arguing over which approach was better. The Queen and Melty simply sighed at the scene while Darius and Naofumi rolled their eyes.

"This is such a freakin' waste," said Naofumi as noise from outside started to reach their ears.

"You think they'd consider just using all three methods," said Darius, "just think what one could do if they were proficient with an enhanced rare weapon. By the way, am I hearing things or is something going down in the reception hall."

"Well it's possible one or two people from separate parties are in an altercation right now," said Melty.

"Well that's just wonderful," said the Armory Hero as Ren and Motoyasu were getting into something of a shoving match.

"Ah forget it then!" said Naofumi as he slammed his fist on the table, drawing the other three hero's attention, "We're getting nowhere with you three arguing so we're out of here!" The Shield Hero shoved his chair back and turned to walk away as Darius rose from his own seat more reluctantly.

"Apologies your majesties but it doesn't seem like we're gonna make any further progress this evening," said the Armory Hero, "but I still thank you for your hospitality and bid you good night." Darius turned and left in far less of a huff as he caught up to Naofumi who was just about at the top of the stairs to the reception hall, where a large amount of noise was currently erupting from.

"Jeez how can three people be so," Naofumi started to say before he and Darius looked out at the scene before them. "OH WHAT THE SHIT!" Both cardinal heroes said at the same time as they watched all five parties brawling, swinging weapons, fighting and otherwise breaking everything.

"Someone help, I can't see!" exclaimed a frightened Rishia who'd somehow gotten a pie on her face as she ran up the stairs before tripping on the top step and falling in front of them.

"What in the world happened here," said Darius as he helped the girl up and cleaned off her glasses enough for her to see.

"Well Sir Mald got drunk and said some things which were a little upsetting for your party," said Rishia.

"I guess Rifana and Johann are as impulsive as ever," commented Naofumi.

"Actually it was Raphtalia who drew her sword first," said Rishia, "then everyone just kinda started fighting everyone else."

"The dickhead must've said something bad about you," Darius surmised, "I guess even someone as gentle as her can get set off if you push the right button."

"Well whatever the case we need to do something about all of this," said Naofumi.

"Yeah yeah I'm on it," replied Darius as he slammed his hands on the ground, conjuring ten portals around the room. A chain shot out of each portal and yanked a number of the more spirited combatants away from each other, restraining them against the nearest wall, pillar, and in some cases the ceiling as everyone else froze mid-movement to stare at the newcomers. "Alright fun's over! The next person to start something gets to deal with me and I am not in a good mood right now!" Rifana was quick to drop the person she'd been holding above her head while Johann hopped off of his latest victim's back. Raphtalia sighed and sheathed her sword, her expression one of embarrassment.

The remaining members of the other parties also made the most intelligent decision they'd made that night and stood aside as Darius and Naofumi walked down the steps. "We're out of here everyone," said Naofumi as he and the Armory Hero passed by the mess that was once an organized set of dining tables. Their party members were quick to fall in behind them as Darius snapped his fingers to release those chained up, a few of whom were party members of the Spear and Bow hero that fell from the ceiling right as they walked out the door.

Private Bed Chambers: Later That Night

"I'm sorry everyone," apologized Raphtalia as they all sat in the room, "I just couldn't stand listening to that moron insulting Master Naofumi like that."

"In all fairness if you hadn't knocked him around I probably would have," consoled Rifana.

"Well it's not like things went much better on our end either," admitted Naofumi, "By the way, where are Filo and Johann?"

"They wanted to visit Melty some more, given that dinner was interrupted," said Raphtalia, "so the two flipped a coin and now Filo is sleeping with Melty and Johann is on guard duty, or something of the sort."

"I still wonder why Johann's trying to convince Melty that dragons are cooler," said Rifana, "I guess it's just his competitive side."

"I'd believe it," said Darius as he was checking through his menu, "but I gotta say, the weirder thing here right now is I can't seem to find a teleport skill."

"I'm not having any luck with this so-called weapon copy skill either," said Naofumi, opening his own menu, "but I don't think those guys would get so worked up over something if they were lying about it. Maybe the methods they were talking about are specific to their legendary weapons."

"The upgrade methods might be," said Darius, "but if the memories in my head are right, the ones that aren't too jumbled anyway, the weapon copy and teleport skills aren't exclusive to just one cardinal weapon. In fact they're among the more common skills possessed by all the cardinal heroes."

"So I guess that means we're just gonna have to trust them on this one," said Naofumi.

"Well if you really think about what we've seen so far, there's really no reason our weapons shouldn't be able to do at least a few of those things," said Darius. A sound from their HUDs alerted them to a new message then as something strange happened. The moment they believed it was possible, both the teleport and weapon crafting skills were unlocked in their weapons. "Hello jackpot!"

"They're real, they're actually real!" said Naofumi with excitement in his voice.

"Hey Rifana," said Darius, "didn't Figneria mention something about us making an appearance a good distance from here?"

"Yeah, but she said when we had time," replied the weasel girl, "the wave needs to be dealt with first."

"I think we may have found some time," said the Armory Hero with a slight smirk as a number of possibilities raced through his mind. It was time for some field testing.

Koteraan Royal Castle: The Next Morning

The nobleman known as Ivyred was a rather busy man nowadays. It wasn't that he had no duties before as a noble, but now his responsibilities had increased substantially as he poured over some documents while pacing in the throne room. He'd come to rely a fair bit on Figneria these days for certain assurances and whenever she had to travel it made him a bit more nervous when it came to moving around the castle. It didn't help that the woman, being a mercenary and occasional assassin herself, had mentioned a number of ways he could die at the hands of other scheming parties if he wasn't careful. He had to keep reminding himself that he had no cause to worry so much as she could take care of herself and her mission was simply as an envoy this time around, with a little favor on the side. If all went well she'd return very soon.

'Assuming she'll even be able to get ahold of the person I wish to speak too,' thought Ivyred when a sudden light in the center of the throne room caught his attention. It grew brighter for a second before fading to reveal four very familiar figures. "L-Lady Figneria!" exclaimed the noble, "and Sir Armory Hero!"

"Hey Ivyred, been a few days hasn't it," said Darius with a polite wave, "I heard you wanted to talk to me about something."

"W-well yes," he replied, "but how in the world did you get here so fast?!"

"Learned a new trick," the cardinal hero replied simply, "thought this would be a good test to see if distance had any effect on where we end up."

"Well it's quite impressive," said the noble, "but putting that aside I was hoping you'd be willing to assist with a small matter."

"And that would be?" Questioned Rifana with a tilt of her head.

"Well you see," began Ivyred, "you all played such a large part in getting this country back on its feet. Our trade is flowing again, repairs are going smoothly and Figneria has managed to churn out a sizeable fighting force with some reorganization and using honest adventurers to assist her in training new soldiers. Given that we owe all of this to you, I thought it would be more than appropriate if you and your party joined us for the official coronation of the new king of Koteraan."

"Well we do suddenly have a bit more time on our hands," said Darius as he rubbed his chin in thought, "but wouldn't it be better to hold a ceremony like that after the next wave?"

"That was actually the plan," confirmed Ivyred, "I had instructed Figneria to bring all of you and Rishia back when the time seemed appropriate or, at the very least, pass on the message that I wanted to see you all."

"Well we can pop up in all kinds of places now," said Johann with his arms crossed, "so if you've got a date you probably oughtta hurry up and spill it. We can't stay too long right now."

"I think it would be more prudent if I simply stuck by them for a little while longer," Figneria said, "after all they will be facing a wave soon and it would be impossible for them to keep any sort of date if something happened."

"Of course you're right Lady Figneria, but what about you?" Questioned Ivyred.

"I am still the one who taught them how to use their weapons," said Figneria, "You needn't worry about me. I shall simply have the Armory Hero return me with his new teleport skill when the time comes."

"Well at least bring my daughter back with you next time," said Ivyred, "I've heard a few rumors that she's traveling with the actual Bow Hero. I know she can be a curious girl but I can't imagine a lot of good coming from her traveling with the one who uprooted much of our country's infrastructure in the first place."

"No need to worry about that," said Darius as he opened his menu and selected the next teleport location, "we'll keep an eye on her. So take care and we'll see you at the coronation." With another press of a button on his menu, the Armory Hero and his party were whisked away to their next location, which was in a far more somber location.

The Village of Raphtalia and Rifana

The group teleported to the Seaetto region, which was as close to the ocean as they'd been in their travels up to this point. Johann was more than fine with the arrangement, though, because it meant he could fly them over in his dragon form. Darius had contacted Naofumi when they were getting close and found that he'd taken a little detour per request of Raphtalia. When Rifana heard where, she also requested to stop at the location.

It was the first time Darius had ever laid eyes on the home of his party member, or rather, what remained of it. Not a single building had escaped damage from the first wave with several having fallen in on themselves and the ones that remained standing were little more than skeletal structures as opposed to actual buildings. If anything of value had remained, it was long gone thanks to the bastard soldiers who'd raided the place afterward. Both the Shield and Armory Heroes could see the pain this place caused their companions, but they respectfully kept silent as Rifana and Raphtalia knelt in front of the graves of their parents to pray for them.

The two girls were joined by Keel and the other girls Darius had rescued while Reichnott, the one who'd brought them over, stood alongside the two heroes and their mounts. "Thank you for helping the villagers bury their loved ones," said Darius as he turned to Reichnott, "at least they can have some peace after everything that's happened."

"It was a group effort," replied Reichnott, "everyone in the village contributed." The cardinal heroes nodded as Keel spoke up.

"Hey Raphtalia, Rifana," said the dog boy, "let's work hard and get the village back to the way it was."

"Right," said the two girls as various memories of happier times played out in their minds.

"There must be more we can do," said Reichnott as they continued to observe the scene at a distance, "Survivors like them are scattered throughout the world. But I don't even know where to start in order to help them."

"One small step at a time," said Darius, "that's how most change starts. You just keep finding little things you can do and before you know it, you'll have helped more people than you can even count."

"Yes that is an optimistic way to look at it," said Reichnott.

"It's something my parents told me once," said Darius as he gazed at Rifana, "I just never realized how true it was until now." The cardinal hero caught some movement out of the corner of his eye then as he spied a red-haired man and a blue-haired girl walking away from where Naofumi had been exploring the village. Curiosity got the better of him as he went after his friend, who was staring at the departing strangers. "Who were those two just now?"

"You got me," said Naofumi with a shrug as Raphtalia and Rifana walked up behind them, "apparently one of them was named L'arc or something like that. Anyway, are the two of you ready to go?"

"Yes, I think we're both ready now that we've told our parents we're alright," said Raphtalia.

"I know it doesn't mean much coming from me," said Darius as they began walking out of the village, picking up Johann and Filo on the way, "but I'm sure they'd be proud of the both of you."

"Thanks Darius," said Rifana with a soft smile as the group walked out of the village gate with Keel, Reichnott and the others waving good bye to them, "that means a lot more than you know." The Armory Hero smiled in return until he'd noticed Raphtalia had stopped. The rest of the party stopped along with her as Naofumi and Darius ended up taking a slight lead due to being in the front.

"Hey, what's wrong," asked the Shield Hero with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Master Naofumi, Darius," Raphtalia began, "the two of you won't leave us will you? I, no, not just me but Rifana as well. I'm sure I speak for the both of us when I say we can't imagine a world without you."

"What are you talking about," said a confused Johann, "No one said anything about leaving."

"Are you going somewhere Master," questioned Filo, just as confused as her dragon counterpart. The Armory Hero averted his eyes a bit as he tried to think of what to say. In truth, he still remembered that he'd never been given a choice to come to this world in the first place, and he didn't want to lie now if it turned out he'd be sent back whether he wanted to go or not. In the end, Naofumi broke the silence.

"None of you need to worry," said the Shield Hero, "we're staying right here."

"Do you promise?" Asked Filo with a hopeful expression in her eyes.

"Of course we promise," Said Naofumi, "do you really think either of us want to leave this world in the hands of the three cardinal stooges?"

"Are you kidding me," said Johann, "I'd trust even the Filolial Queen over those idiots and that's saying something!" The tension seemed to leave the rest of the party with this comment as everyone sighed in relief.

"Now that we cleared that up, can we go now," said Naofumi with feigned impatience.

"Yes," agreed Raphtalia happily as the group gathered around the heroes and followed them out of the village. Rifana was happily hanging off of Darius's arm while Filo and Raphtalia got into a slight tug of war over who should be holding onto Naofumi. 'Thanks for cheering them up Naofumi,' thought Darius as he glanced at his smiling companions, 'but you realize that lie also makes you a real bastard too.'

Melromarc Harbor

"I think I see our ship," said Rifana as they flew over a small port town and landed at the spot where the Shield Hero's party was parking the wagon. The group had picked up Figneria on the way out of the village and she'd been more than happy to be flying on Johann's back once again. What confirmed everyone's suspicions about the large vessel with three masts, though, was the presence of three rather grumpy individuals sitting and waiting on the dock behind a line of other adventurers.

"What a bunch of morons," said Naofumi as he caught sight of the other three cardinal heroes, "Only so many ships can depart in a day."

"When you mentioned they left early I was actually hoping we might be taking a different ship than them," commented Darius, "but I guess karma works both ways in this case. Either way we'd all best climb aboard."

"YAAAAAAAY!" Cheered their party as they quickly headed onto the floating vessel with everyone else. It seemed the party's timing couldn't have been any better as the ship set sail soon after they were aboard. But the up and down trend continued as the crew member responsible for showing them to their cabin arrived with bad news.

"We're sincerely sorry Sir Heros," said the crew member as he led them through a hallway below deck lined with rooms on either side, "we were sure we had a private room reserved for you, but when the other heroes showed up early they pretty much took every available cabin."

"So they're punishing us because they got here too early and had to wait," scoffed Naofumi, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"Well the other cabins can't be any worse than sleeping in a cave," commented Darius, "so what do you have left?"

"We have one room left but it's only large enough to accommodate five people comfortably," replied the crew member, "we do apologize for the inconvenience but some of your group will have to share a cabin with other passengers."

"Well let's see who we got first and then figure it out," said Naofumi as he opened the door and froze. The occupants of the cabin, were none other than the blue-haired girl and red-headed man he'd met in the village not too long ago.

"Well well," said the man with a smile, "it seems we meet again kiddo."

**And so begins the short but still very eventful Cal Mira arc! Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed this latest lengthy chapter (definitely had no idea it'd gotten this long) and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes work on conquering the island paradise of Cal Mira! 'Til then.**


	26. Archipelago Adventures

**Archipelago Adventures **

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest, and longest, chapter of this story! Got no guest review questions this time around so let's dive on in!**

Aboard Royal Ship to Cal Mira

"I guess I'd better introduce myself this time around," said the red-haired man, "My name is L'Arc Berg, but just call me L'Arc. And this lady here is Therese."

"My full name is Therese Alexandrite," added the blue-haired woman.

"Well at least it's official now I guess," said Naofumi.

"Is Ms. Therese from a foreign country?" Questioned Raphtalia suddenly, "I don't recognize the language she's using."

"None of us did," confirmed Rifana as she indicated Filo and Johann's confused looks.

"Ah we forgot," said L'Arc with a quick glance at his partner before turning his back to her. Darius raised an eyebrow as he examined the curved blade of what looked like a scythe hanging from the man's belt. Therese put her hand to the red jewel on the weapon's head and produced a marble-sized ball of light which she proceeded to guide to her throat by hand.

"My deepest apologies," said Therese as the light disappeared into the skin of her throat, "are you able to understand me now?"

"Yes, your voice is much clearer," said Raphtalia happily with a clap of her hands. 'I actually forgot the cardinal weapons have a voice translation ability,' thought Darius as the woman introduced herself once again.

"Now then, as I wished to say before I am Therese Alexandrite," she said.

"I'm Raphtalia," said the raccoon girl politely, "And this is my best friend Rifana."

"Hope you guys don't get seasick easy," said Rifana, "these places look cramped and lacking in buckets."

"And I'm Filo!" Cheered the winged girl happily.

"I guess since everyone else is doing it I will too," said Johann with a thumb pointed at himself, "the name's Johann and the guy behind me is the Boss. Oh, and the thick knife lady is Figneria."

"Pay no attention to his titles for us," said the mercenary woman, "but yes that is my name."

"Pleased to meet all of you," said L'Arc, "and what about you two, I know you've gotta have a name besides Boss?" Darius didn't answer right away as something kept bugging him. The lady Therese was wearing a combination white dress top with leather armor over top of it while still leaving her shoulders exposed. She wore a type of long blue skirt with a red sash and a type of brown tiara on her head. Her blue hair was styled into a braid, but what was strangest to The Armory Hero was the mana reading he was getting from the gem bracelet on her right arm.

As for L'Arc, he wore a red and black vest which left his arms exposed, save for the armored pad on his right shoulder. He also wore an armored elbow pad on his left arm with leather gloves for both hands. His lower body had something similar to a centurion style armor on his waist with leather frills hanging from it. Black pants and leather boots completed his look, but what had Darius in thought was the weapon he'd glanced at earlier, namely its weird Stats. "Darius," said Rifana with a light elbow to his ribs, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Oh right," he said, "My name's Darius Saxon, nice to meet the both of you."

"And I'm Naofumi," said the Shield Hero, "Naofumi Iwatani." For some reason the two travelers glanced at each other with surprise etched on their faces, before busting out laughing.

"Hey you two," said L'Arc between laughing fits, "I wouldn't recommend the Shield and Armory Hero's names for aliases."

"But we are the Shield and Armory Hero's," said Naofumi with slight annoyance as L'Arc burst into another round of laughter.

"Really, you two don't seem like them at all!" exclaimed the red-headed man.

"It's not quite that amusing L'Arc," said Therese after getting over her own fit of giggling before turning back to them, "but I do agree, those are some rather conspicuous names."

"And why's that exactly," questioned Rifana with a tilt of her head.

"The Shield and Armory Heroes have got something of a reputation," said L'Arc as he suddenly turned serious, "Scams, kidnapping, blackmail and that's just the Shield Hero. The Armory Hero has his own hand in intimidation and assassination, taking out anyone the Shield Hero or he doesn't like. Utter scumbags the both of them."

"That's, not entirely off the mark," said Naofumi, a bit to Raphtalia's dismay.

"Oh how can you look at this face and assume he's evil," said Rifana as she playfully grabbed Darius and shoved his head forward a bit, "does this look like a murderous scumbag to you?"

"I don't feel intimidating at the moment, that's for sure," commented the Armory Hero as his companion released him while laughing quietly to herself.

"Well truthfully I haven't known any of you long," Said L'Arc, "but I can tell these two are nothing like those creeps."

"And it seems neither of you have been in this country long either," said Figneria, "a trial was held recently which absolved both of the heroes of all their crimes. A rather nasty former princess, as it turns out, was the one to blame for their poorly perceived reputations."

"Whatever the case," said L'Arc as he reached out and shook Naofumi's hand happily, "If you're gonna insist on using that name so be it. Nice to meet you Shield Kiddo and you too, uh, Shroud kiddo."

"It's more of a scarf cape than a shroud," corrected Darius, "but I suppose it's got a less confusing ring than Band kiddo."

"So are you all heading to Cal Mira to level up as well," questioned Therese. Filo and Raphtalia answered in the affirmative for the rest of the group.

"So would you be open to teaming up with us," asked L'Arc, "It'd make things a bit more efficient with a bigger party."

"You want us to team up with the two of you?" Questioned Naofumi with a hint of hesitation.

"It might help given that we'll need to split up anyway," admitted Darius before a knock had everyone facing the door.

"Excuse me Sir Heroes, would you mind coming up on deck for a minute," said one of the crewmen, a man with a blue bandana. Darius and Naofumi sighed before heading for the door.

"We'll be back in a bit," said the Armory Hero, "best go ahead and get sleeping arrangements set up while we're gone."

"I'm certain we can figure out something beneficial for all parties," said Figneria with a small smirk as Naofumi and Darius nodded before heading out and following the crewman.

"So what's the deal," asked Naofumi, "why do you need the two of us up on the deck?"

"Well we were hoping that all five heroes would be willing to greet the crew," explained the man with a smile, "everyone's excited to have you all aboard and I know they'd be thrilled if you talked to them for a bit."

"Can't argue with that," admitted Darius, "Morale is important aboard a sea-faring vessel."

"Well I guess it'll at least give me the chance to tell those guys about believing in the system," said Naofumi as they walked up the stairs and stepped outside. It was a rather beautiful day with a clear sky, seagulls flying about and three unfortunate souls who looked like they were about to spill their guts. Said unfortunate souls happened to be the other three heroes.

"How come you guys are still walking around," groaned Itsuki as he, Ren and Motoyasu were pressed up against the edge of the ship railing, trying not to lose whatever they had for lunch earlier.

"Overpowered weapons maybe," said Ren weakly before putting a hand to his mouth to prevent possible projectile vomit.

"I call it lots of fishing when I was little," said Darius with his hands on his hips, "and some white water rafting here and there. Better question is how three people from a nation that's got a massive fishing industry and ocean on both sides can get seasick? Do they not have boats in your parallel worlds?"

"Whatever the case it serves you guys right for taking up all the private cabins," said Naofumi, "but I got some news. We managed to figure something out after that meeting where you mentioned item refining."

"Please, no more talking," groaned Motoyasu, who was leaning over the railing, "I really don't wanna think about anything right now."

"So about your normal state of mind," quipped Darius as he noted the presence of three familiar, and unwelcome party members, "Oh and congratulations on the new slaves."

"But you all need to hear this," said Naofumi, "as long as you believe a system exists-."

"Seriously you two," groaned Itsuki, "just hearing your voices is making me sick."

"Really," said Darius, "I thought it was all the up and down and back and forth and-." It was at this point that Motoyasu lost the battle of keeping his lunch down and blew chunks over the railing. "Whoops, that's one down now who'll be next?" The answer, surprisingly, was Motoyasu again as a red-eyed shark monster with clawed fins came flying out of the water and landed on the Spear Hero.

The remaining heroes looked out over the railing to see Filo in her bird form kicking another one of the strange sharks out of the water, only this time Johann came swooping by in his dragon form and snatched it out of midair. He then proceeded to toss the shark at the rest of Motoyasu's party, all of whom scattered quite quickly. "We're having grilled fish for dinner tonight Master!" yelled Filo happily as she waved from the water.

"Since when can Filo swim?" Questioned Naofumi, not even glancing at the strange sharks.

"That's what you find weird about this," said Itsuki weakly, "nothing else?"

"And those sharks smell terrible," said Ren as he put a hand over his mouth.

"What are you two even doing above deck," asked Darius as Johann landed in front of him and changed back to human form, "I thought we told you to figure out the sleeping arrangements."

"Oh we figured those out in two seconds," said Johann, "Rifana figured since we have one more member already it'd be better if we just took the empty cabin while Naofumi gets a moment with his new friends. Speaking of which." The dragon boy pointed out the arrival of said cabin mates as L'Arc and Therese walked up on deck.

"Hey Shield Kiddo," said L'Arc, "You got a moment and-what's up with those guys?"

"Lack of sea legs apparently," answered Naofumi, "anyway, do you need something?"

"Well it's actually Therese who has a request," said L'Arc as the girl stepped forward.

"Your companion Raphtalia mentioned you have some exceptional skill at jewel crafting," said Therese, "would it be possible for you to make an accessory for me?"

"Ignoring the fact that your request is completely out of the blue, yeah I can help," said Naofumi, "but only if you've got the materials."

"I do," said Therese as she held up a small brown bag, "you can use anything in here and I'll of course pay you for it upon completion." The Shield Hero took a moment to rummage through the sack and pulled out a rather large red gem, which was more than enough for him to work with.

"It'll take a while since I can only work on it between grinding levels," said Naofumi, "if you've got no issue with waiting then yeah I can do it."

"That sounds like a wonderful arrangement," said Therese.

"And I'll be counting on the both of you once we reach the island," said L'Arc as he put a hand on Naofumi's shoulder before the sound of the waves hitting the sides of the boat suddenly increased. "Sounds like the sea's getting rougher, might even be a stor-what in the world happened to her!" The two heroes looked over and saw that Myne was currently pinned underneath one of the sharks with Johann standing nearby whistling innocently.

"No idea about the shark," said Darius with a shrug, "but I can tell you her face is likely the result of an eggplant having sex with an older eggplant. And not the good kind."

"Well putting that image out of my mind," said L'Arc, "we'd best get below soon, the crew's saying we're in for a hard night." This of course did nothing to help the moods of the other three seasick heroes as Darius and the group headed back below deck.

Ship Cabins: That Night

'Why, why is this happening?' Thought Rifana as she ran forward through a now dead battlefield. Monsters of all shapes and sizes littered the ground as grey clouds hung overhead, their corpses carved up in various ways. But none of that mattered to the weasel girl. The only thing that mattered to her at the moment was the one ray of sunlight which had broken through the clouds to shine on a certain spot. 'After everything, does it really have to come to this? We won so why?' she thought frantically as she reached out a hand for the one standing in the sunlight, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

But no matter how much distance she covered, it never seemed to be far enough or fast enough. Even now, when she could make out the features of the individual she was racing towards it was still too far to reach. 'Don't do that, don't give me that smile,' thought Rifana as the figure in the sunlight turned to her with an apologetic look and a sad smile as his body began to fade. 'Please don't, I'm begging you! DON'T!'

"DON'T DISAPPEAR!" Rifana yelled as she shot up from her spot in the ship's cabin, panting as if she really had been running. The weasel girl quickly felt her head, noting that she was in a cold sweat before her attention was diverted by a bit of movement on her left side.

"Rifana," said Darius quietly as he shifted to a sitting position. The cabin was cramped but it still offered just enough room for each of them to sleep somewhat comfortably. "Is everything alright?"

"You're here!" She said as she lunged forward and hugged him, somehow managing not to wake up Johann and Figneria, "You're still here."

"Well of course I am," said Darius as he returned the hug gently, "where else would I be right now? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'll be fine in a bit," said Rifana weakly as she clutched onto his outfit, "It was a nightmare, just a nightmare."

"Anything I can do to help," asked the Armory Hero, "It's been a bit since you last had a nightmare this bad."

"Just," Rifana said as she buried her head in his chest, "just hold me please, even if it's only for a little while." Darius nodded and wrapped his arms around the frightened girl, still curious as to what could set her off like this. But in a short time her eyes were closed again as she managed to get some semblance of sleep. For whatever reason, though, her grip on him hardly loosened at all that night and it wouldn't be until the next day that he'd actually be able to get her to let go.

Cal Mira Harbor: That Morning

The storm came and went surprisingly quickly and by the time they pulled into the harbor, the sun was out and shining again. Feeling a little bad that the crew didn't get a rousing speech from the five cardinal heroes, Darius decided he'd test something out by absorbing a harpoon into his bands. The result, harpoon chains that allowed him to snag sharks out of the air that Johann dropped from the sky. It was an entertaining sight for the crew and even seemed to cheer Rifana up a bit from her recent nightmare.

She also perked up even more once their two parties exited the ship and saw Cal Mira for themselves. "Wow this place is beautiful," sang Raphtalia happily as she looked along the shore.

"And it's so hot," said Filo, "I can feel the sun cooking me."

"This is nothing to a dragon," said Johann with his usual toothy grin and his hands on his hips, "but it is a nice place. Maybe I'll take up residence once I become a full-fledged dragon emperor."

"I'm certain Fitoria would love you being as far away as possible," commented Rifana.

"By the way," said Naofumi to the demi-human girls, "How come you two didn't get motion sick on the boat. The ride was way rougher last night than the wagon, and maybe Johann's flying, ever was."

"Oh, well I guess it's because we both come from a fishing village," reasoned Raphtalia with a hand on her chin, "we basically grew up around boats."

"As opposed to a few certain other people," remarked Darius as a groaning Motoyasu was carried by them on a stretcher.

"I hope they paid extra to have all the vomit cleaned out of their rooms," said Naofumi before turning his attention to a man in a blue butler suit and tie.

"Welcome to Cal Mira Archipelago," said the man with a respectful bow, though Darius was surprised the man wasn't falling asleep on his feet with the messy way his hair was arranged and the bags under his eyes. "I am Habinburg, the caretaker of this humble abode. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. Now the original plan was to escort all of you to the villa but," Habinburg glanced at the other two heroes going by on stretchers, "it seems I will be escorting only the parties of the Shield and Armory Heroes for the time being." The man then signaled his two attendants to carry what luggage they'd brought with them as he turned around and led them into town, explaining all about the island along the way.

It seemed Cal Mira Archipelago included not just one island but a few smaller islands all bunched together. Due to its nature of occasionally generating a bonus field, and more importantly a legend that previous cardinal heroes had trained here made it a popular tourist spot. Whether it was true or not was up for some debate but what was certain was it had all the charm one would expect from a tropical destination: stalls and vendors on several streets and sandstone houses and shops with yellow tiled roofs. It was also expectedly crowded with people of all shapes and sizes wandering about, including adventurers thanks to the activation of the bonus field.

It was also due to the presence of so many adventurers that each of them was given a type of pamphlet with rules for leveling up on the island. The first rule, which got on Johann's bad side immediately, was that each island could only be travelled too by boat. The next rule stated that while they were encouraged to kill as many monsters as possible, there was to be no barging in on others battles nor was there to be kill-stealing of any kind. "This is like reading a guide to MMO etiquette," remarked Naofumi as they stood in front of a large totem pole in the center of town.

"What's an MMO master," questioned Filo with a tilt of her head.

"It's nothing to worry about," said Naofumi as he looked at the totem pole, "anyway, this statue here is supposed to represent the original inhabitants who developed the islands."

"It looks a lot like a totem pole to me," Darius weighed in, "wonder if the island inhabitants here were at all similar to the native Hawaiian animals of our worlds?"

"It also has an epigraph with an inscription here that's said to be left by a previous hero," noted Raphtalia as she looked at the stone slab on the ground.

"Mystic writing," said Naofumi as he held his hand out to it, "as source of thy power the Shield Hero orders thee, decipher this message and energize my target, Zweit Aura." The cardinal hero held his hand out to Filo whose body began to glow green from the energy generated by the slab which now had glowing orange writing.

"This is, I feel really light and powerful," said Filo before leaping several feet into the air and letting out a cheer.

"I guess a previous hero really did leave that epigraph," commented Rifana as the Filolial came almost floating back down to the ground.

"Hey Shield Kiddo, Shroud kiddo, there you are," said the familiar voice of L'Arc as he and Therese came walking up to them, "Filo got some good air on that jump just now, made it a lot easier to find you all."

"It's still not flying," said Johann with his arms crossed and his head to the side.

"Anyway you kinda ran off without saying goodbye," L'Arc continued, "good company can make or break a trip ya know."

"Naofumi's idea," said Darius as he pointed a thumb at the Shield Hero, "he seemed to think we needed to be in some kind of rush."

"Well either way you never really gave us an answer about teaming up," said L'Arc.

"And since we all just arrived it'd be best if we helped each other out to get our bearings," added Therese. "And by the way, where is Figneria?"

"She offered to go scout around a bit," explained Darius, "she used to guard a nobleman and came here with him a couple times a few years ago, so she's seen most of what there is to offer here."

"But to answer your first question," said Naofumi, "yeah I guess we'll give this teaming up thing a shot. Fair warning though, if you slow us down we'll drop you in a heartbeat."

"Hahaha I hear that," laughed L'Arc, "and the same to you kiddos. Anyway we'll catch up with you later so try to take it easy until then." The two adventurers turned and left then as Raphtalia and Rifana waved good bye.

"I'm actually a little surprised," said Raphtalia as she turned to Naofumi, "ordinarily the only way you'd deal with someone like L'Arc is if Darius convinced you it was worth it."

"I guess he just throws me off a bit is all," admitted Naofumi, "but right now we need to get moving. It's already afternoon so let's split up and start level grinding." Words of agreement sounded from all the assembled group members before they parted ways and headed to the nearest boat.

Smaller Cal Mira Island

"This is awesome!" exclaimed Johann as he spun and kicked through a rabbit-like monster called a Karma Rabbit. The group had encountered a horde of the creatures upon entering a large clearing after trekking a little ways through the trees.

"Glad someone's having fun," quipped Rifana as she swung through three more with her mace, "these things are respawning endlessly!"

"That is the nature of Cal Mira Island," said Figneria as she used only a single dagger to slice through two groups of three, "the monsters always seem to come back."

"I'm just glad this bonus field is like everyone said it would be," noted Darius as he twirled and spun a new double-bladed staff, cutting through the four karma rabbits that had been surrounding him, "we're gaining a mass of experience points just from these small fry." A sudden rumbling caused the rabbits to scatter back to their holes as a large toad came hopping out of nowhere and landed a few feet away from them.

"It seems all the activity attracted something larger," noted Figneria, "and here I thought I'd only get blood on my clothes."

"Well don't use any attacks that would be effective only against the undead," said Darius with a smirk as he readied his weapon, "I hear that doesn't work very well."

"I don't think any undead are actually on this island," grunted Rifana as she knocked the toad onto its back with a single hit.

"Just sayin'," remarked the Armory Hero as he leapt forward and delivered the finishing blow through the toad's heart. It was a good start to what would be a rather productive day as the party moved further into the island, encountering even more powerful monsters as they went. By sundown, the group managed to make it to the cave of a massive iguana boss monster which was dealt with by a combination of blows from the weapon wielders and a final spinning tail slam from Johann, breaking its skull in the process.

"Whew, so that's what some of the bosses are like here," said Rifana as she examined her weapon, "Uh oh, this could be a problem."

"What's the issue?" Questioned Darius as his companion held out her mace for him to inspect. It looked far more worn than it had that morning, as if it could no longer withstand the force it was being swung at.

"Ah, how careless of me not to notice sooner," said Figneria as she looked at her own daggers, "You've all had a class upgrade recently have you not?"

"Got 'em just two days ago," said Johann as he examined his gauntlets and greaves, "did they make our weapons go bad?"

"Not at all," said Figneria, "I myself acquired a class upgrade shortly upon arriving in Melromarc for my diplomatic visit. It seemed wise to increase my strength given what I heard about the last wave, but I didn't know just how much stronger it could make one."

"So our weapons might actually not be able to handle the level we're at now?" Surmised Rifana.

"Precisely," replied Figneria, "once you grow past a certain point, your weapon's durability will no longer be able to hold up to the force you can use. It's rather inconvenient as we'll all need to purchase new weapons now."

"Maybe not," said Darius with a hand on his chin as he opened his menu, "I've actually been meaning to try something for a bit. Rifana, may I?" The weasel girl complied and handed him her mace as he looked through his options. He'd remembered to keep picking up monster material along the way and once he saw what he was looking for, he hit the button on his menu.

Rifana's mace began to glow white for a moment as its shape changed slightly, forming dark yellow scales on the handle and pointed spikes along the weapon's edges. "Wow, what did you do? It feels even better than before?"

"Well after Motoyasu mentioned something about weapon enhancement, I managed to unlock a little ability of mine," explained Darius as he pointed to his bands, "It seems that while I might not be able to craft things, as the Armory Hero I can enhance weapons to a certain degree so long as I have the materials on hand or in my inventory."

"Oh, can you make my gauntlets and greaves better?!" Asked Johann excitedly as he pulled off the armor and handed it to his boss. Darius scrolled through the menu again and granted him gauntlets with a white fur lining along the back, with small claws on the knuckles and toes. He also enhanced Figneria's daggers, giving them new fire and ice designs while increasing their durability and power.

"Not quite the work of an expert blacksmith," said Figneria as she effortlessly twirled her weapon between her fingers, "but it's more than acceptable for now."

"I wanna test 'em out," said Johann as he slammed his fists together excitedly, "just find me a monster already!"

"But it's getting kind of dark," said Rifana, "should we consider heading back?"

"We'll start heading that way," replied Darius as he opened the communication feature on his menu, "but it's probably best that we don't head out until Naofumi and his party leave their island. We need to work at this as at least as long as they do if we're gonna keep up."

"Well I've been needing to hone my skills at night fighting for a few days now anyway," admitted Figneria, "so let us not waste another moment."

A Few Hours Later: Small Island Forest

As it turned out, the night monsters were a bit tougher than the monsters found in the day time. But, with the newly enhanced weapons and the honed senses of a dragon, weasel girl and an assassin it wasn't much more difficult than what they'd dealt with earlier. The drop rate was also better as the group took a break from their most recent encounter and sat around a recently constructed fire, lit courtesy of Johann, splitting up what they'd obtained between each other. "Now this is something I've missed a bit," said Darius as he sent some of the drops to his inventory, "between the frame up, the tyrant dragon, taking out the pope, the trial and other royal matters I was starting to think we'd never get back to a regular grinding routine."

"Well it's not totally the same given that we're on an island now," Rifana pointed out, "but you're right, I've also missed how straightforward monster hunting and level grinding is."

"We have managed a fair feat today," noted Figneria, "almost ten levels in half a day. Even I'm impressed by this bonus field."

"Makes me look forward to tomorrow," said Johann as he cracked his knuckles, "I'm gonna get way stronger and beat up even bigger mons-." The sound of some rustling alerted them to the presence of another as the group all stood up into fighting positions with their weapons at the ready. The rustling increased as some of the bushes were parted by, a fishing pole.

"Wow it's thick in this area," said a feminine voice as a short girl stepped out into the clearing, "Ah, you all must be the ones dropped here by the ferry. No mistaking a boy with bat wings."

"They're dragon wings!" exclaimed Johann, "and who the heck are you anyway trying to sneak up on us?!"

"Oh right, I'd better introduce myself," said the girl, "My name is Kizuna Kazayama. I was just getting back from a little fishing when I noticed your worried looking ferryman. He said you'd all been gone for a while and since it was getting dark, he sent me to go looking for all of you."

"That's responsible," said Rifana, "send in a small girl with a fishing rod to find people on a monster-infested island."

"I'm eighteen thank you very much," said Kizuna as she held her very nice, Darius noted, fishing pole up, "and I can handle myself a lot better than you might think." The Armory Hero could see she wasn't joking as he got a look at the Stats on some of her attire. The girl had brown hair done up in pigtails and was wearing a blue, black and white western gothic dress and a large black cloak on her shoulders. But what really caught is attention was the fishing pole. It actually had Stats higher than a lot of weapons he'd seen, and something else.

"Well I suppose it is getting late," admitted Figneria as she turned to Darius, "what do our party members on the other island have to say about it?" As if on cue, the communication icon appeared in the Armory Hero's HUD.

"Yeah I'm here," said Darius as he habitually put a finger to his ear, "Oh did they now? Yeah Figneria said the same thing so I guess heading back is the best idea right now. See y'all at the restaurant."

"Huh," said Kizuna as she pointed at Darius, "what did he just do?"

"He used some form of crystal ball magic to communicate with some of our other friends," replied Rifana, "It's, uh, kinda hard to explain. But long story short, I guess we're out of here."

"Are you sure we can't bust up at least one more monster before we-GROWL!" The dragon boy held his stomach as the sound of hunger gave him his answer. "Never mind. So where are we eating?"

Oceanside Bar: A Short Time Later

"To our safe return!" Cheered L'Arc as he sat at a table with a semi-annoyed looking Naofumi and the rest of his party, "Hey bartender, be sure to keep these coming!" The red-haired man, as it turned out, had gotten kind of worried about their parties and had gone looking for them after the sun had set. Upon finding the Shield Hero's party he quickly invited them to an outdoor restaurant that overlooked the ocean, hence the current celebration of sorts.

"I'm not sure what's funnier, the fact that Naofumi's putting up with him or that the guy actually convinced him to come here for a drink," said Rifana as she and the rest of her party sat at a different table. Their new fishing pole friend, if they could call her that, hadn't stuck around long as she simply took a meal to go before heading off to do some night fishing. Despite this, the two groups still had to get a table next to each other because of how many people there were.

"I'm just happy he's actually branching out and making some new friends," said Darius as he took a bite of some of the meat that had been served to their table, "it can't be healthy to be so distrustful of people all the time, especially now that everyone knows he's innocent."

"Such caution is understandable to a degree," said Figneria as she lightly sipped some juice from her goblet, "I myself was in a similar state until I met all of you."

"You're too kind," said Darius, "I've just been bumbling along doing the best I can with what you and everyone else has taught me. Speaking of bumbling." Everyone looked at where the cardinal hero was directing his gaze and noted Raphtalia was staggering over to them with sum mugs of what must've been alcohol in them.

"Hey Rifana," slurred Raphtalia with an expression between apathetic and tired, "any chance you could help me out with these? I kinda already drank some of mine and, I might need some help with the second one."

"What moron gave you booze," asked Darius with some concern in his voice.

"Oh Therese said I should try some wine at least once while I had a chance," said Raphtalia, "but then I realized it wouldn't be fair if I left Rifana out of something like this. Apparently having an alcoholic beverage is a big step for a lot of people."

"I wish you'd come to me before drinking this stuff," said Rifana as she accepted mug, "then I could've just thrown it away and we'd both be happier in the morning. Oh well, forgive me Darius but this is for a friend." The weasel girl then proceeded to gulp down the entire mug in a few seconds before slamming it down on the table. "WHOA SHIT! How do people drink this all the time?!"

"Apparently it just takes practice," said Raphtalia as she finished hers. She now had a completely apathetic look on her face. "Why don't we go get something else to eat, it's been forever since just the two of us hung out."

"Okaaaay," said a now red-faced Rifana as the both of them left the table and Johann started in on the leftovers they'd completely glossed over.

"I'm gonna have to help carry at least one of them before the night is over aren't I?" Said Darius with his head on one hand.

"Well the night is likely to be eventful given all who've decided to show up," said Figneria as she pointed out the arrival of the other three heroes and their parties.

"Oh wonderful," said the Armory Hero as he hit his head on the table, "I'm just gonna pretend like I'm not here and maybe they won't notice me."

"I don't see why you're worried," said Figneria, "Rishia was quite happy with what you gave her during our little encounter today."

"Yeah that's the prob-," Darius started to say before an all too familiar bowman suddenly shouted.

"THERE YOU ARE!" exclaimed Itsuki as he and Ren stepped up to his table, "do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"To be fair I did my best to prevent it if you're mad about what I think you're mad about," said Darius as his gaze shifted to said party member who was currently dancing by the band happily alongside Rifana as Filo sang along, "but you try telling a girl no when she wants something. Because by the looks of it, you've had no more luck than I did."

"I LOVE BEING A FURRY!" exclaimed Rishia as she danced around in a massive suit that resembled a squirrel.

"No luck is right!" said Itsuki, "we sent her back to the ferry to pick up some extra supplies and a few minutes later she comes back dressed like that saying she's a furry, a furry! She hasn't gotten out of that suit all day!"

"Hey I'm not in charge of what a monster drops," said Darius as he sipped at his own drink, marking this as one of the few times in life he regretted not partaking in alcohol, "I was gonna sell that thing when Rishia came by and instantly fell in love with it. I told her fine as long as she's okay with everyone thinking she's a furry. And when I tried explaining it to her she somehow interpreted it in her excited mind as 'Furries are people who wear animal costumes everywhere, even the bed room.' So sorry but it seems you have a magical furry as a party member now."

"The worst part about it is that suit actually has some decent Stats," raged Itsuki, "So my own party can't even understand why I want to burn it!"

"Well as said there's not really anything I can do about it," said Darius, "but I gotta ask, why are you also over here Ren? I only made one accidental furry today."

"I wanted to know which islands you planned on visiting tomorrow," said Ren, "It'd be inconvenient for me if I ran into Naofumi's party again or yours. You might've gotten a head start due to our seasickness, but don't get too smug about it." Darius simply rolled his eyes at this statement before speaking to Figneria.

"Would you mind taking Johann up to get a bit more food? And keep an eye on Rifana and Raphtalia please," requested the cardinal hero, "I'm gonna need a minute here."

"As you wish," said Figneria before standing up and heading to the bar with Johann on her heels.

"Who's that anyway, a new party member," asked Itsuki with a raised eyebrow.

"My weapon's instructor Figneria," Darius answered simply before indicating the seats in front of him, "but that's a conversation for another time. Right now, why don't you two take a seat so that I can ask a serious question?" The Bow and Sword hero's looked like that was the last thing they wanted to do, but complied nonetheless and sat down in the chairs in front of him. "Now what I want to know is this: what exactly are your goals here in this world, what is it you want out of all this?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Ren, "We're the chosen heroes called here to quell the waves."

"Yes but why are you specifically fighting to quell the waves?" Darius asked. "From what I understand you two and Motoyasu all seemed a bit miffed that you were pulled from your own worlds to handle someone else's problem until there was a mention of compensation and a big hero's welcome. After that you pretty much believed whatever Trash and Bitch told you with little to no question, which leads me to think you haven't thought very far ahead in all of this."

"And just what is that supposed to mean," Itsuki said in annoyance.

"It means you haven't considered what comes after the waves," said Darius as he crossed his arms, "think about it for a moment. All five of us were called here against our will to quell these waves and it's very possible that we'll all be sent right back after everything is said and done, again against our will. So whatever praise or honor or treasure we receive in this world is probably gonna stay here while we all get sent back to a world where no one will know of what we did or even believe it happened. It's actually quite sad in a way."

"I'm still not quite seeing your point with all of this," said Ren, "It doesn't change the fact that we still have a job to do."

"And that's the problem and solution right there," said Darius as he pointed at Ren, "this is a job, a job that we were all called here to do and people's lives ride on the decisions we make. But you guys don't treat it like that, you each treat it like it's your own personal fantasy come true or some game. That's also why you've got such a big problem with Naofumi and me even after we were proven innocent because you think we're stealing the limelight from all of you. Well newsflash, Naofumi doesn't give a shit about the limelight he just wants to go home and never come back to the world that mercilessly screwed him over."

"And what about you," said Itsuki, "what is it you're after in this world?"

"Honestly," said Darius, "I'm just trying to help out as I can. Sure I was a bit annoyed at first that no one seemed to know who the Armory Hero was in a world where summoned heroes are beyond celebrity status but then I met all of you and realized just how screwed one's perception can become from too much fame. So believe me when I say you guys can keep all the praise and glory and celebrity status because Naofumi and I don't really want it. We need the reward money as a means to an end but otherwise, all we really want is to get this job over with because at the end of the day that's what it is, a pain in the ass job."

His little speech seemed to have hit some form of nerve or another with the two heroes as they didn't reply back right away. Though whatever was going to be said next was interrupted as Rifana suddenly came stumbling over and grabbed onto Darius to keep herself from falling. "What are you still doing here," cooed the weasel girl, "you missed Raphtalia royally owning Mald in arm wrestling and you're gonna miss the dancing if you don't come along."

"I just needed to have a word with our fellow heroes," said Darius as he let Rifana begin dragging him away, "good talk guys and enjoy down time because tomorrow, it's back to work!" Whatever they might've said back was lost in the noise of the crowd as Rifana pulled him along, laughing happily. 'Heh, praise and glory,' he thought, 'I've already got something better to fight for.'

The Next Day: Outer Cal Mira Island

Darius had to hand it to Figneria once again, the woman had foreseen the possibility of getting drunk on the island and already had some medicine on hand to help both Raphtalia and Rifana with any possible hangovers. Though she only mentioned having it after Motoyasu had eaten a grape-like fruit that turned out to be practically made of alcohol and passed out on the ground instantly. She gave none of it to him, though, considering it her little revenge for the Spear Hero attempting to hit on her. Funnily enough, Naofumi was able to pop the same fruits in his mouth with hardly any effect at all thanks to whatever poison or alcohol tolerance he'd apparently built up since coming to this world.

A number of other fun happenings occurred that night including Darius swapping between Rifana and Figneria as dance partners, or was rather passed back and forth. He even somehow wound up dancing with the squirrel-suited Rishia in one confusing moment. Johann demonstrated his own surprisingly accurate version of river dancing, until Filo started singing about stupid dragons and turned the whole scene into a chase around the bar. And Raphtalia was cheered as an arm-wrestling pro after beating Mald, multiple times. It was a fun and rather relaxing time, but now that the sun had risen on a new day it was back to work.

Just like yesterday, the two parties had a short strategy meeting in front of the totem pole where Naofumi agreed to let L'Arc and Therese come along for the grind with his party. He also gave her the accessory she requested which he'd managed to turn into a silver bracelet with the red stone in the middle. The blue-haired woman had actually been moved to tears by his craftsmanship and awarded him with not only a large sack of gold coins but also promised to pay him even more in installments. Darius didn't pay much attention to the exchange as he was usually the one delivering the accessories as opposed to crafting them.

What did pique his interest before they left for one of the islands, however, was the mention that Therese was level fifty two and L'Arc was fifty six, meaning their new friends had already gotten their own class upgrades. 'I guess I really have underestimated the number of strong adventurers in this world,' thought the Armory Hero as he sliced through a seagull monster which had tried diving for him, 'but why in the world am I getting such a weird reading on L'Arc's weapon? It registered as the same type of weapon as-.'

His thoughts were interrupted by Rifana knocking away one of the seagull monsters which had attempted to approach him on his blindside. "You in there today," asked the weasel girl as she kicked another monster flying at her.

"Yeah just thinking a bit," Replied the Armory Hero as he impaled another foe with a curved sword he'd recently enhanced, "I got this weird feeling about our new friends."

"And what sort of feeling would that be," asked Figneria as she leapt up into the air and diced up five or six more seagulls before landing gracefully on her feet.

"Most people in this world aren't above level forty from what I've heard," responded Darius as he punched another monster and backed away for Johann to finish it off with a drop kick, "which isn't suspicious in itself but I can't get a good analysis on that L'Arc guy's weapon. I got enough info now to make a replica, but it's like there's some kind of translation error on it's classification."

"You mentioned something like that happened before," said Rifana, "should we force it out of them?"

"Not without good reason," replied the Armory Hero as he switched out his sword for a weapon he picked up recently in the market place, "they've been pretty decent up to this point, so let's just keep an eye out."

"Whatever you say boss," said Johann as he landed next to him, "and what are you gonna do with that magic stick anyway?"

"Nothing much," said Darius as he held his newly summoned staff which sported a fin design and an aqua blue gem on top, "just this: Zweit Aqua Slash!" A high powered jet of water formed and shot out of the end of the staff, cutting through several of the monsters still in the air and showering the ground with blood and feathers which was quickly washed away by the falling liquid.

"I thought you couldn't use magic outside of weapon and body enhancement," said a surprised Rifana as she finished off one of the twitching monsters.

"I still technically can't," said Darius as he held up the mystic weapon, "this is a mage's staff which, thanks to all this leveling, I can wield now because it's the one generating the spell and not me. Plus, staff's also double as blunt weapons so one might call it a kind of loophole. It does require more mana to use though."

"Such is the way of things," said Figneria, "For every new advantage there exists a drawback."

"I don't know about that," said Johann with his hands behind his head, "being an increasingly powerful dragon hasn't had one drawback yet for me." The sound of loud screeching suddenly reached their ears then as a rather large seagull monster emerged from the forest nearby, snarling especially fiercely when it noticed Johann.

"Except for most forms of birds and other animals hating you," Rifana pointed out as she readied her weapon.

"Well it's a good opportunity to test one more thing," said Darius as he switched out his weapon again to one he'd spent most of his enhancement materials on, "let's see how strong this is now!" The gull monster flapped its wings and snapped its beak viciously as it charged towards them before Darius swung and scored a direct hit on the side of the bird's head. The resulting blast from the impact was spectacular as the boss gull's head and neck were completely frozen and obliterated while the rest of its body and much of the ground beneath their feet became covered in a layer of frost and static electricity.

"That was awesome!" cheered Johann as he jumped up and down excitedly, not noticing his hair standing on end.

"There's no arguing with the power output," said Figneria as she brushed some frost off her belt and clothes, "but you might want to do something about the energy release. Natural as it may be I do style my hair to a degree."

"Yeah sorry about that," said Darius as he worked to get his own hair back down, "I misjudged the area of effect a bit in the enhancements." Rifana simply said nothing as she laughed at everyone's new and ridiculous hairstyles, hardly noticing how her own hair was standing on end. The group agreed he should save the ultimate static weapon for larger foes after that as they continued into the island's forest, taking down whatever got in there way and soaking up as much EXP as possible. Everything was going well until they hit level seventy and noticed the bonus curve dropped off a bit, forcing them to take a break and plan a new course of action.

"Geez I'm getting hungry," groaned Johann as they sat on some logs and split up the latest drops between themselves, "Shield guy has to be about done for the day, right? It's almost sun down."

"There are still a couple of hours before then actually," said Figneria as she examined one of the dropped monster gems, "but in this case I do believe it'd be wise to consider heading back before dark this time."

"Well you're all in luck," said Darius as he closed his communication window on his menu, "It looks like Naofumi's happy with today's progress and agreed that now would indeed be a good time to head back."

"He'd better," said Rifana with an exhausted sigh, "we managed to get up twenty levels today, twenty! Adding what we got yesterday we've managed to climb thirty levels in just over a day and a half. Maybe he'll actually be in a good mood when we get back."

"We can only hope," said Darius as he stored his share of the drops before picking up a rather strange item they'd gotten from some penguin monsters known as Karma Penguins, "I also hope someone's got a good explanation for why we keep finding furry suits here?"

Cal Mira Main Island: Sunset

"Thank you both," said Raphtalia politely to L'Arc and Therese as she gave a respectful bow, "you helped us gain quite a few levels in only a single day."

"And it was fun!" chirped Johann and Filo before growling at each other for saying the same thing.

"I couldn't have said it better," agreed Therese, "It's a shame we couldn't find a chance to partner with your party as well Darius."

"Any reason you can't do that tomorrow," Questioned the Armory Hero, "Learning to wield a scythe is practically on my bucket list at this point."

"Well even if I did show you a few moves you'd need to get your own first," said L'Arc, "I can't exactly lend this thing out to just anyone."

"Oh I got that covered," Said Darius as he held out his hand and generated a replica of L'Arc's scythe with the signature white jewel, "And I'm told I learn at a fair pace too." Both of their new friend's eyes widened upon seeing the feat, clearly not expecting his ability. The two proceeded to glance at one another with serious expressions for a moment before turning back to them.

"I think it'd be best if we went it alone for a bit," said L'Arc apologetically as they turned to leave, "but don't worry we'll see you guys around."

"Thank you for the great day," said Therese as they headed off.

"And thank you for all your help," said Raphtalia as Filo waved good bye happily. The raccoon girl was quick to notice how Naofumi seemed to be lost in thought. "You hoped they would stick around longer right? That's not quite like you Master Naofumi."

"I've just been wondering recently if we should add more people to our party," said Naofumi, "but we can figure that out later. Since we all worked so hard today, why don't we take a day off tomorrow." Johann and Filo were quick to celebrate this option as Raphtalia had to speak up to be heard over them.

"I personally don't mind either way," she said, her wagging tail betraying her real feelings on the subject, "but it'd probably be best if you took a break Master Naofumi."

"Then we're off to the beach tomorrow!" exclaimed Rifana happily as they all turned in for the day.

One of Cal Mira's Many Beaches

The funny thing about being in a different world was when one occasionally found things that were similar between the two. One such similarity was the presence of a shop on the large beach which actually rented out swimsuits and other aquatic gear to help one enjoy their time in the tropical location. Currently, all of the boys and Filo had already made it out to the beach with Johann wearing azure blue swimming trunks that sported a scaly design. Naofumi got his own blue and brown pair with a red button-up shirt and what were apparently medieval style sandals with bindings that went up to his ankles. As for Darius, he remained barefoot with a blue vest and white trunks as his choice of beach dress, mostly because the vest would be easier to get off for swimming due to the presence of his bands.

While the two heroes sat around and enjoyed the sun, Johann busied himself stomping around in the water attempting to catch fish or whatever smaller creature happened to come his way. "Hey Master!" Said Filo happily as she walked up to the two of them in her choice of a frilled pink and white two piece swimsuit. She'd also chosen to tie her hair up into pig tails with flowers for some reason. "I found another island in a weird place."

"What's the big deal about it," asked Naofumi, "there's a whole bunch of islands around here."

"Not like this one," said Filo, "this is a special island I found underwater that looks like it's glowing red."

"An underwater island glowing red?" Repeated a now slightly intrigued Naofumi.

"Did it happen to have buildings of some sort down there?" Questioned Darius with a slight idea what she might be talking about.

"Yes, there's a really big building in the middle of it," said Filo as she raised her arms up to emphasize how large it must actually be.

"Undersea ruins, huh," said Naofumi with a hand on his chin, "we have hit something of a wall with our leveling right now. Maybe something like this could prove a nice change of pace."

"I really hope you're not planning on trying to grind more right now," said Darius, "we all agreed this was supposed to be a day off. Besides, there's something I want to try above water first." The Armory Hero used his replica ability to create the fishing pole he'd seen Kizuna carrying the other day.

"Since when can you conjure up replicas of non-weapons?" Questioned Naofumi with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Well that's the funny thing," said Darius as he examined the pole, "I saw a little adventurer the day before carrying this thing and for whatever reason it registered on my HUD as a high class weapon and stored the information for a replica."

"Just another mystery to add to this island," said Naofumi as he rummaged around in his large carry bag and pulled out a full body suit resembling a penguin with a Santa Claus hat of all things on its head.

"Sorry to keep you boys waiting," said Rifana as the two heroes looked up, with Darius feeling his jaw promptly dropping, "It took us a minute to pick one out for Raphtalia, so what do you think?" It was worth the wait in his opinion as he looked over the gorgeous women. Figneria had selected a purple two piece swimsuit with a butterfly motif that left little to the imagination, not that he needed it, and a purple cloth hanging loosely around her waist. Rifana had selected a dark yellow two piece with a much shorter cloth that hung above her knees and seemed to hug her figure perfectly as she wore a confident smile on her face. And Raphtalia herself, who had her hands behind her back in a much more shy, reserved manner had selected a blue two piece with a type of cloth top that covered her chest and left her stomach exposed along with another cloth covering that went down to her knees.

Both Figneria and Raphtalia had decided to tie their hair up into ponytails with Raphtalia leaving two long, tied strands to hang down her front. "I think," replied Darius after picking his jaw up and making a picture frame with his hands, "I am currently witnessing the type of beautiful sight that only occurs once a century right now." Rifana giggled a bit at this as a light blush formed on her face while Figneria simply returned a knowing smile. True, the Armory Hero had seen two out of the three of them with nothing at all, but that didn't change the fact that he'd never given any thought to how they might look in swimming attire.

"And what do you think of it Master Naofumi," Raphtalia asked shyly.

"I think it looks great," replied the Shield Hero, getting a happy reaction out of the raccoon girl as her tail wagged in appreciation. "With an outfit like that, it won't matter if a little water leaks into the suit."

"Yes, uh, what suit?" Asked Raphtalia in confusion until Naofumi held up the penguin suit. "Oh, that suit." Rifana and even Figneria actually sighed at this while Darius slammed his head against the replica pole hard enough that it disappeared.

"What I think she meant was-," Rifana started to say until a sudden mischievous thought occurred to her, "Oh no! Can it really be one of those?!"

"One of what?" Asked Darius and Naofumi at the same time.

"An ocean stone pearl," said Rifana as she made a show of looking out into the water, "they're supposed to be incredibly rare. Now that I think about, they may only appear during the times of a bonus field and they're worth a small sack of gold coins due to their beauty and uses as a magic accessory!"

"Rifana what are you-," Raphtalia started to say before Rifana grabbed her and turned her towards the ocean.

"You remember what they used to say about them in our village right," said Rifana as she whispered 'play along' in her friend's ear, "they give off a distinctive shine and can be scooped up from the shallows if you look in just the right place."

"Uh, yes," said Raphtalia, "they're quite beautiful and would be worth the effort if for no other reason than the price we could fetch for one. I think I saw a couple spots on the way over we could search so let's go!" Naofumi didn't have a chance to protest as his companion grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him off in the direction of this so-called ocean pearl.

"We'll start looking for one on this side of the beach!" Rifana called back as she watched her two friends shrink into the distance. Once she was certain they were far enough, she let out a sigh and quickly laid down on the sand next to Darius, with Figneria mirroring her on the other side.

"There's something wrong with that guy," said Darius as he rubbed the sore spot on his head, "I mean seriously, the weeb dream itself: a beautiful animal girl in a hot swimsuit, was literally standing right in front of him and all he has to say is it'll work if the penguin suit happens to leak. I'm starting to think he's actually lying about being an Otaku or his fetishes are more horrific than I originally imagined."

"Well the way Raphtalia tells it," Said Rifana, "Bitch's little betrayal not only messed up his ability to fully trust people, he also lost the ability to taste most foods or love women."

"Except for the part where he clearly trusts Raphtalia implicitly," said Darius as he leaned back and propped his head up with his arm in the sand, "He actually believed her when she backed you up about that bogus pearl just now. Not to mention his name has been cleared, the charges against him are dropped and the kingdom has recognized him as a hero while punishing the ones responsible for the frame up. At this point the only things keeping him from actual happiness, at least in my opinion, are the waves and himself."

"I do find it surprising that the girl was able to lie to her master," said Figneria, "it means he never ordered her not to after her crest was reapplied. But the blame is not all his. Raphtalia's understanding and patience, while admirable, are also keeping her from expressing her true feelings much more directly. Perhaps I should intervene in a similar manner to what I did with you two."

"I think you might actually discover the end to Raphtalia's patience and understanding if you tried sleeping with Naofumi," Darius pointed out.

"My dear student," said Figneria as she rubbed Darius's chin, "do you really think your teacher is the type to lay with just anyone in order to teach a lesson? I have already chosen the one I wish to continually bestow that honor on and so long as Rifana allows it you shall be the only one to receive such treatment. No, what I suggest is simply encouraging our dear raccoon girl to express her feelings before the potential disaster of death befalls either of them from the waves or the time comes that he is able to return home and misses his chance at true happiness for the both of them. But first, we must confirm whether or not Sir Shield Hero even reciprocates her feelings in the first place."

"Well that's gonna be a challenge," admitted Darius, "but we're basically on vacation at the moment so hopefully plenty of opportunities will arise. For now, let's just relax until they get back."

"I can work with that," said Rifana as she pressed herself against the Armory Hero, "by the way, what would you as one of these so-called weebs call this little situation right now?"

"If you mean a guy who used to spend all of his time in his room suddenly winding up on a beach with not one but two gorgeous women on either side of him," said Darius, "I personally call it one of my dreams come true. And I intend to enjoy it while it lasts." Rifana smiled happily at that as she rested her head on his chest while Figneria held onto his arm. It would go down as one of the best hours of his life before shit hit the fan.

Underwater Temple Entrance: One Fruitless Search Later

It came as no surprise, to Darius and the others anyway, when Naofumi and Raphtalia returned empty-handed. But the raccoon girl was now smiling while the Shield Hero looked like he at least didn't hate hunting for the imaginary pearl while being dragged from one beautiful sight to the next. But they were now back on track as the group, minus Figneria and Johann who stayed up top because someone needed to keep an eye on said dragon boy who didn't want to be underwater, swam down towards the ruins Filo had discovered wearing the monster dropped penguin suits. 'I suppose it's only fair we go along with this after sending him out on a wild goose chase,' thought Darius, 'even if he had no idea. But seriously, why a penguin suit?'

The fact that they'd all been underwater for more than ten minutes without needing oxygen and surprisingly clear vision aside, he still felt ridiculous. But he put that out of his mind for the moment as the group approached the red-tiled temple whose structure actually reminded Darius of the Greek Parthenon, save for the large stone doors at the entrance. None of them had any idea if it was possible to open the doors as Naofumi reached out a hand to examine them more closely. It turned out they didn't need too as the jewel on his shield glowed green, causing the doors to swing open and spew a mass of bubbles outward from the entrance, signaling the presence of air within the temple.

The group discovered why as they swam into the center of the temple and climbed up some stairs to find that not all of the structure had been flooded by the ocean water. "Oh sure," said Darius as they stripped off the penguin suits, save for Filo who'd been in her bird form, "not a Zora tunic in sight for water breathing but the whole damn water temple's here."

"I just wish I could see," said Filo, "It's almost pitch black down here."

"I'm on it," said Raphtalia as she raised her hand in the air, "burst light!" A sparkling light resembling a flare formed in her hand and floated up towards the ceiling to illuminate most of the large room. Whatever they'd been expecting to find, however, was not what greeted them.

"How is a dragon hourglass here?" Questioned Naofumi as they gazed at the familiar sculpture in front of them.

"All the major countries were supposed to have one," said Rifana, "was this what happened to the island's original inhabitants?"

"It's bad news either way," said Darius, "the waves occur wherever a dragon hourglass is."

"But the islanders will all die if one hits here," said Raphtalia with worry in her voice.

"Let's not panic just yet," said Naofumi as he and Darius held their cardinal weapons up to the statue, "we don't know for sure it'll happen here given that this thing is underwater." That was the hope anyway as their weapons and the hourglass glowed for a moment before returning to normal. Whatever optimism they'd had for this place vanished as they read the countdown clocks on their HUDs. The next wave was gonna strike here, in just two days.

**And so it seems the next wave will be arriving a tad bit earlier this time around for our heroes. Also, whew, whole lot happening in this chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed this lengthy read just the same. As always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the battle at sea commences! 'Til then.**


	27. Otherworldly Foes

**Otherworldly Foes**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the next installment of Armory of the Forgotten Hero! But First, some Guest Reviews: For Jason Wu: No kidding, even if they're weaker versions they'd still hurt, and some of the plot divergences shall continue in this chapter. To Guest: Indeed it's not often brought up and it seemed like a good moment to explain the difficulty she has in getting him to notice her. Now then, onto the story!**

Off the Coast of Cal Mira

Everything had started moving relatively quickly ever since the discovery of a dragon's hourglass within the undersea temple at Cal Mira. Though it wasn't surprising given the second discovery: the next wave was due to hit in only two days' time. Neither Darius nor Naofumi wasted any of it, using their newly acquired teleport skills to quickly venture back to the royal capital in Melromarc and inform the Queen of the situation. Fortunately for them and Cal Mira, Mirelia Q. Melromarc was a good and effective leader who managed to pull together a fighting force of over a dozen ships that were manned by both sailors and soldiers.

She also got on Darius's good side by opening up the castle weapon's vault and presenting him with numerous mage staffs to make use of during the next wave, which he happily accepted along with a few comments about being a motherfuckin' sorcerer now. For the journey back to the islands, the five heroes and their parties were split between five ships in order to make better strategic use of their abilities as it was expected the next wave would be a naval battle. Currently, Darius and Naofumi were onboard the Queen's ship as they watched the Archipelago come into view. "I'm not certain how but it appears we managed to arrive just in time," observed the Queen who had once again donned her royal armor.

"I'm honestly impressed you were even able to get this many ship's together on such short notice," said Naofumi.

"While my Father might not have given off the impression," said Melty who'd also come along, "preparing for the waves is one of the responsibilities of a royal."

"Yeah but why are you here?" Questioned Naofumi with a raised eyebrow, which for some reason seemed to set the little girl off.

"And just what is wrong with that?!" She questioned angrily before adopting a more reserved tone, "I am a member of your party too, aren't I?"

"Well we're happy you're here," said Filo as she indicated herself and Johann, "and we never agree on anything, so that has to mean a lot."

"It does," admitted Melty with a smile, "and I'm happy to see the both of you again as well."

"By the way," asked Raphtalia, "were all the islanders on Cal Mira able to evacuate?"

"You needn't worry," replied the Queen, "the earl of Habinburg has already completed the evacuation of the islands. So the only thing you'll need to focus on is the battle ahead."

"I suppose I'll have to save the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack for another time," admitted Darius as he contemplated pulling the replica Gengar Shield out anyway. He was onboard with pretty much anything to help calm the nerves at this point.

"It's best we not get complacent," said Naofumi, "especially considering the other three heroes still don't want to really work together."

"They all seem to believe the leveling up at Cal Mira was enough for this wave," said the Queen as she steered the ship, "Only time will tell if that is true."

"Oh look Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia as she pointed to one of the ships coming up alongside them, "L'Arc and Therese are here too."

"I didn't expect them to be fighting the wave," said Naofumi in mild surprise.

"You know those two," said a curious Melty as she looked out over the railing.

"They helped us level up a bit while we were in Cal Mira," explained Naofumi, "and it looks like they're gonna be more reliable than the other heroes."

"Wow," said Melty, "I'm actually shocked that you're managing to put so much trust in other people." Naofumi simply grunted at her statement.

"I'm just happy they're on our side," said Raphtalia, "the two of them are very capable adventurers."

"Heh, our side," said Darius, "that remains to be seen. Anyway, we need to get back to Rifana and the others so let's head out Johann." The winged boy complied as he morphed into his dragon form and let Darius hop aboard, flying off before Naofumi could question him about his earlier statement. On board the other ship, Figneria was currently in command of the ship's steering wheel with Rifana waiting patiently next to her as the Armory Hero and his mount landed.

"So I guess we're as ready as we're gonna be," said Rifana as she checked her stock of supplies one more time.

"Well we could be a little better prepared," said Darius while sliding off of Johann onto the deck, "but the other three seem to think they'll be just fine doing their own thing, again. Or at the very least the numbskulls aren't planning on working with us."

"I shouldn't be surprised at this point," said Rifana with a sigh, "I guess we're just gonna have to roll with it and see what happens."

"Speaking of which, how's commanding a ship working out for you Figneria?" Asked the Armory Hero.

"I'm not a sailor by any means," admitted the woman as she adjusted the steering wheel, "but I've learned enough to at least not crash the ship. I'll be having the first mate take over once the wave begins so that I can defend this vessel from possible attackers."

"Sorry I can't haul the both of you into the fight," Darius said sincerely, "but Johann's faster with only one person riding."

"We all have roles to fulfill in this battle," said Figneria, "simply concern yourself with yours and trust us to play ours. Ah, and before I forget." The mercenary woman suddenly reached out and pulled the Armory Hero in by his scarf cape to plant a surprisingly passionate kiss on his lips. "Try to come back in one piece dear Darius."

The cardinal hero was at a loss for words, though even if he could've spoken at that moment they'd have been quickly cut off as Rifana jumped in, wrapping her arms around Darius's neck to deliver a passionate kiss of her own. "Please, come back to us," she whispered upon releasing him from the kiss.

"Well," the Armory Hero said when he finally found his voice again, "It wouldn't be very heroic to make two ladies cry now would it? Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"Blech," said Johann, spitting out his dragon tongue, "could you not be lovey dovey right now, we got some monsters to fight." The others simply smiled and nodded as the countdown on the hourglass ran out, signaling the beginning of the next wave.

As before, everyone was teleported to a different location, with the main difference this time being the whole fleet of ships was also teleported to another spot off the coast of Cal Mira. And just as before, the swirling of blue aerial whirlpools and a red sky marked the start of the next wave as numerous amphibious looking creatures dropped from the portals into the ocean. "That's our cue," said Darius as he leapt onto Johann's back, "let's go!" The dragon mount didn't need any encouragement as he took to the skies and hovered above the ships which were now circling in a type of intercepting maneuver.

As the monsters approached, the soldiers onboard the ships quickly rolled numerous barrels off the port sides which exploded shortly after entering the water. If Darius remembered what he was told correctly, the barrels had been filled with the highly alcoholic cohol fruit and made into explosives known as cask bombs. And they were proving surprisingly effective as numerous stunned monsters floated up after each blast, due either to being stunned or affected by the highly concentrated alcohol. "My turn!" exclaimed Johann as he flew down and unleashed a blast of lightning from his mouth, frying a large portion of the already stunned creatures.

Darius also had his newly enhanced thunder bow and arrows out, firing at any that looked like they might still be twitching in the water. The soldiers at the other boats lent a hand with archers firing their own arrows into the mass of advancing monsters, some of which died and some of which managed to get away. "Hey Boss," said Johann as they circled back, "how soon does the boss usually show up?"

"Depends on the circumstances, why?" Questioned the Armory Hero as he fired another couple of electrified arrows into the water.

"Because that kind of looks like one," Johann said as he readjusted his position in the air to give his rider a better look. And what he saw gave him a moment of pause. The beast which was swimming towards them now was a massive whale, larger and two to three times longer than any of the ships present with a huge narwhal horn on its head that was protruding from some kind of orb structure. Darius also noted its red eyes and rows of massive teeth as it raised its head above the water to let out a rumbling roar.

"Yeah, I'd say that's a boss monster," he finally replied as he stored his current bow and summoned a replica legendary bow. But before he could fire, a meteor shot from Itsuki's ship came rocketing towards the massive monster. Despite its size, though, the beast managed to dive beneath the waves and advance towards the ships unimpeded as the attack missed it completely. "Keep on it, we can still spot it from above."

"It won't get away from me," said Johann as he flew lower where the shadow of the monster was moving beneath the water.

"Thunder arrow!" Called the Armory Hero as he fired a volley of electrified projectiles into the water. The multiple impacts went in but only seemed to enrage the beast as it rammed into the ship that Ren was currently on. And for some reason, the Sword Hero was holding on quite tightly to the mast.

"Daruis, how's it looking up there?" Questioned Naofumi over the communication window.

"Not good," replied the Armory Hero, "it may be huge but we still can't get a clean shot on it while it's in the water. So I guess it's up to you and your swimming Filolial now."

"Yeah lucky me," said Naofumi as he dropped into the water aboard Filo. The two of them had discussed possible strategies beforehand, one of which involved the very likely scenario that the boss would be able to submerge itself underwater. The Queen had weighed in on this discussion as well, pointing out that the Shield Hero could keep it in check with his new luring ability, hate reaction, and Filo's surprisingly good swimming.

"We need to be ready too," said Darius as he dissolved his replica and summoned a blue and silver mage staff with an orb contained in a type of lightning bolt shape at the top. "I just hope we're fast enough."

"We'll be fine," said Johann as they circled the location where the whale boss was, "I just hope that Filolial can swim as well as she thinks she can." The cardinal hero didn't have a chance to call his mount out on this before he saw Filo quickly approaching the surface.

"Alright here goes, Phantom Circle," said the Armory Hero as he raised his staff. Five portals appeared in a circular formation in the air just as Filo and Naofumi came flying out of the water, quickly followed by the boss as it seemed to jet out of the ocean at an impossible height for its size. Darius took this moment to aim his attack as electricity flew from the staffs and gathered in the center of the circle. "Thunder Circle-," Darius started to say before three meteor attacks, each from one of the other three hero's ships, slammed into the beast midair.

But all of them seemed ineffective as it began to fall back towards the ocean. "STRIKE!" The Armory Hero finished charging the attack, letting loose a massive blast of lightning which caused the whale to shriek in agony before it hit the water. Darius had to regain his grip on the saddle as the attack ended, breathing heavily from the effort expended.

"Boss, you alright back there," asked the concerned dragon as he gained a bit of altitude.

"Yeah," said the Armory Hero between breaths, "but I just used up a lot of mana right there. If we make this an endurance game we won't-look out!" The whale boss had raised its horn out of the water behind them, the strange orb on its head glowing yellow as it fired off a powerful laser right at the dragon and its rider. Johann just barely managed to dive down in time, but not without feeling a good bit of heat from the attack.

"That's not good, are you still with me Boss, Boss?" asked the dragon boy as he saw the whale charging up another attack. But as it was about to fire, a pair of harpoons, one from Raphtalia's ship and the other from Rifana's ripped into the whale's sides, causing it to roar in pain as it missed its shot completely.

"Darius," said Naofumi's voice over the communication window, "Darius can you hear me? Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," coughed the cardinal hero as he slowly regained his senses and his grip on the saddle, "We got a little cooked there. And the bastard got the narwhal song stuck in my head."

"Just good to know you're still up there," said Naofumi, "listen, the other three heroes are barely putting a dent in this thing, heck, Rifana and Raphtalia are doing more damage with the harpoons. How many more of those thunder strikes do you got in you?"

"Not near enough," said Darius as the Whale boss fired its laser again and completely wrecked one of the ships, "I could do five more at best if I exhausted my current supply of mana potions, but I'm not sure if we'll have any ships left by the time we wear it down."

"And I'm not hurting it near as bad as I'd like to either," said Johann as he flew low and fired another blast of lightning at the sea monster's exposed horn, causing it to miss a direct hit on the ship it was aiming at, "any chance we can't just lead it away from the other ships?" Before Naofumi could answer, screaming reached their ears. "Boss, that's coming from Melty's boat!"

"Shit, Naofumi," said Darius as he turned his mount towards the royal ship. It had been overrun by several bipedal monsters resembling a cross between a frog and a fish with nasty jaws. One of them had managed to knock Melty down and was attempting to drag her towards the edge of the ship. "Keep that boss distracted for a bit. We gotta-huh?"

"Break Down: Scale Removal!" yelled a familiar fishing girl as she charged forward with a thrusting attack that released several blades of wind, tearing apart many of the monsters present including the one going after Melty.

"Sky Bound Wheel Swing!" Said L'Arc next as he landed on the deck and unleashed a miniature tornado, eviscerating all the remaining fish monsters. The crew cheered for their saviors as they got back to work while Johann landed on the deck near the newly assembled group.

"About time y'all got in on the action," said Darius as he noted Kizuna was now wielding a type of long fishing knife with, the same jewel as her fishing rod? "I guess I owe you an apology about going around with a fishing pole."

"I told you I can handle myself," said the girl proudly as she rested the weapon on her shoulder.

"Are you alright Melty," asked Johann with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine thanks to your friends," said Melty as she turned to the newcomers, "I honestly can't believe how powerful you both are. Naofumi was right to trust you." For some reason, this brought a frown to the adventurer's faces.

"L'Arc," called Naofumi as Filo landed on the top mast of the ship next to them, "time to take out the big one! And don't worry about falling into the water, Filo and I can get you if that happens."

"I guess it would be better to take that thing out first," admitted L'Arc as he turned to Kizuna, "do you mind hitching a ride with our friend here for a moment? You're gonna need some air for the combo attack."

"If I have too," said Kizuna as she leapt behind Darius's seat on Johann, "just don't drop me shroud guy."

"Still not sure how I feel about that name," commented the Armory Hero as Johann took flight again.

"Alright, get that thing's big ass out of the water kiddo!" called L'Arc as he leapt to the next ship. Naofumi nodded as he and Filo dove underneath the waves and used hate reaction once again to draw the boss's attention.

"I need you to get me close then catch me afterwards," said Kizuna as she readied her weapon, "we're gonna hit it with everything we've got."

"Just a word of warning, dragon scales are not the softest thing to land on," Darius replied as he summoned his own weapon, a blue-handled ax with spikes on the back resembling parts of a snowflake. The rune-inscribed blade was also serrated now and four feathers hung from the back instead of the original two. As Johann circled the area, Filo and Naofumi shot out of the water once again with the whale leaping its same impossible distance into the air. As requested, Darius pulled Johann up alongside the beast. "All yours, so go fishing!"

"Blood Flower Strike!" Called the adventurer as she leapt off and ran up the monster, carving a bloody line through a number of specific weak points before leaping off of its head and back onto Johann.

"Spiral Strike!" Yelled Filo as she flew in with a powerful kick to the monster's lower jaw, actually managing to suspend its flight in the air for a moment.

"Raisetsu Arashi!" Called Darius as Johann dove down, allowing him to carve a large destructive path down the center of the monster's head that exploded in a shower of lightning and ice.

"Bejeweled Thunderstorm," Called Therese from her own ship as she conjured a surge of electricity which powered up L'Arc's weapon.

"And to finish it," said the scythe wielder, "Combo Skill: Thunderbolt Wheel Swing!" A massive, electrified cyclone engulfed the whale boss, shattering the transparent bulb on its head which cast a final light before it collapsed into the sea with one final deathly roar.

"Wow, that was awesome," said Darius as he steered Johann to the massive floating corpse, "I hope the other three were taking notes because that's what team work really looks like."

"Yeah," Kizuna replied simply as Johann landed on the whale at about the same time as Filo. The little fishing girl was quick to hop down and join L'Arc, who'd somehow landed on the monster after his attack, while Naofumi and Darius slid off their mounts and regrouped.

"That was pretty nicely done," Naofumi said surprisingly, "I appreciate the assist back there."

"Well there was only so much you could do with your Armory pal and that defense-focused shield," commented L'Arc as he noted Therese's arrival.

"Hey over there!" Called the voice of Motoyasu, ruining the mood as he and the other two heroes also walked onto the whale corpse. "You two and your friends did a pretty nice job here."

"Yeah, and you're all here because," Naofumi asked in slight annoyance.

"Obviously we've come for the drops from the main monster," Ren pointed out as he wasted no time in looking.

"The items dropped by the boss monster after a battle belong to all of the heroes," said Itsuki.

"I mean it would ordinarily," said Darius as he sent his weapon back to his inventory, "but, oh how to put this?"

"You guys didn't really contribute much of anything," Naofumi pointed out, "the one who beat this monster was-."

"The guy currently not laughing," said L'Arc as a smirk crossed his face, "you three are supposed to be 'heroes'? That's not even funny as a joke. You weaklings can't protect a blasted thing!"

"What did you sa-," Motoyasu started to ask before L'Arc swung his weapon at the three of them. But was stopped at the last second by chains covered in green and white ethereal fins that pulled him to one knee.

"Soul Eater's chain," said the Armory Hero as he quickly summoned a double bladed staff.

"Darius, what are you doing?!" Asked Naofumi, completely confused with the situation.

"Hating myself for being right," replied the Armory Hero as he leapt back to avoid a swipe of Kizuna's blade. This consequently released L'Arc from his chains as well. "These adventurers aren't who they say they are."

"Too bad it's not the same for you two," said L'Arc, "you're both the real Shield and Armory Heroes after all. I hate that it all turned out like this."

"What are you even talking about?" Asked the Shield Hero as he tried to figure out who to believe.

"You remember what I told you about the weird signature of Glass's fans, how they didn't match any known weapon from this world?" Darius asked, "Well these two have the same signature on their weapons. I wasn't sure at first because they weren't trying to kill us at the time, but I'm positive now. We're dealing with weapon wielders from another world."

"Bingo Shroud Kiddo," said L'Arc as he pointed his scythe at the two of them, "we are heroes from another world, and in order for that world to live, the Shield and Armory Heroes have to die."

"We have nothing against you personally," said Therese, "and we regret that it's come to this, especially after the kindness you've shown us. But we really have no choice in the matter."

"But another Shield Hero or Armory Hero won't be able to be summoned if you do this," said Naofumi, "You'll be leaving this world more vulnerable to the waves."

"And that's exactly what we're going for," said L'Arc with a serious expression.

"That's not very heroic," chided Darius, "dooming an entire world."

"It's," said Kizuna with a somber expression, "what we have to do. Our world is also being ravaged by the waves and will collapse soon if something isn't done. So we can't afford to lose here."

"Please believe us, we wish there was another way," said Therese, regretfully as L'Arc stepped forward.

"But don't worry, we'll keep this fight fair and square," said L'Arc as he pointed his weapon at them, "So I hope you're ready heroes."

"Alright that's enough of this," said Motoyasu as he readied his spear, "I'm damn tired of everyone acting like Naofumi and Darius are such a big deal lately. If you want a real fight, then we'll take you on!" L'Arc sighed then gave a smirk as he twirled his scythe, blocking Itsuki's arrow before Kizuna rushed forward and knocked Motoyasu's weapon aside. Ren ran past the both of them as he attempted a few slashes against the scythe wielder.

But L'Arc easily dodged and parried his sword swings before spinning low and sweeping the Sword Hero's legs out from under him. He was then sent flying back by a wind-powered scythe swing. At about the same time, Kizuna was easily pushing Motoyasu back with her own, more expert sword skills before turning and jamming the back handle of her weapon into the Spear Hero's sensitive crotch. The attack caused him to collapse to his knees before Kizuna knocked him back with her own wind-powered strike. The two weapon heroes went flying into Itsuki, resulting in all three falling into an embarrassing heap on one of the whale's massive fins.

"Form one: Pitfall," said Kizuna as she stabbed her weapon into the monster corpse that currently passed as the ground. A large hole opened beneath the three heroes as they all fell into the water. "I see now why they were named Lee, Roy, and Jenkins."

"Oh wow, I forgot I made that joke," said Darius as a sudden hail of arrows began raining down on the otherworldly heroes. It seemed even with the need to clean out the remaining monsters, Melty, Figneria and the Queen still managed to organize an attack on them. Therese was quick to raise her hand and summon a circular barrier of blue flame above their group, however, disintegrating the incoming projectiles.

"Darius, Master Naofumi," said Rifana and Raphtalia as the two girls leapt from the boat they'd taken and ran to their respective party members. "What's going on," asked the Raccoon girl.

"Well it turns out our new friends over there aren't so friendly," explained Darius, "they're here from another world and want me and Naofumi dead." Any other explanation was cut short as Therese began casting a much more powerful spell, strong enough that it created a gust of wind which forced most of them to cover their faces temporarily.

"I now cast, Bejeweled Meteor Shower!" declared the woman as her hair turned red and a mass of blue fire balls actually began raining from the sky on the fleet. Darius raised his phalanx shield wall to protect his party from the barrage while Raphtalia and Filo took cover behind Naofumi and his shield.

"Remember not to overdo it Therese," said L'Arc as he looked out at the now burning fleet of ships.

"I know," said Therese, "I'm just stopping any possible interruptions. Now, Bejeweled Silver Lining!" A hard rain shower followed the meteor shower, dousing the flames on the wrecked ships.

"What in the world are they thinking," Naofumi mused aloud, "first they attack our allies and then help them."

"The only ones we really want are the Shield Hero and Armory Hero," said Kizuna as she pointed to Naofumi and Darius, "If you surrender them peacefully we won't have to kill the rest of you."

"So you just want us," said Naofumi as he clenched his fist, "fine then."

"I suppose I'll agree on one condition," said Darius as his mask appeared on his face and he readied his double bladed staff, "you all die first!" This seemed to be the signal as both L'Arc and Kizuna shot forward at high speed with scythe meeting shield and sword meeting staff, resulting in an impressive display of sparks and even electricity. Their other party members leapt in next as Rifana came down with a swing of her mace, which Kizuna managed to dodge before rolling out of the way of a flame blast from Johann.

Raphtalia and Filo both dove at L'Arc with their own attacks, only to be stopped by not one but two scythes. "Air scythe suite first stance: Wind blade!" declared L'Arc as he was surrounded by a miniature tornado. Darius quickly summoned a couple of clawed chains to pull Naofumi's party members away but L'Arc acted quickly and leapt towards Raphtalia.

Fortunately, Naofumi was quicker and managed to block his attack before biting into his arm with the Soul Eater's shield. The red-haired hero managed to free himself after a moment and retreated back with Kizuna near Therese. "Are you alright L'Arc," asked the blue-haired woman.

"Fine, my arm's just a little numb," replied L'Arc as he examined his hand for a moment. "But it does make me glad these guys can keep things interesting!" The two otherworldly heroes leapt back into the fray then as Kizuna and Darius, who'd switched out his staff for a saber, exchanged a few more blows before the Armory Hero noticed the latest strike Naofumi blocked actually managed to hurt his arm.

"Master Naofumi!" said Raphtalia as she jumped into the fray, driving L'Arc back with several skillful swings of her sword as it sparked with every blow against her opponent's scythe. Darius took this moment to disengage from his fight with Kizuna as Rifana and Johann tagged in, forcing her to back up from the ferocity of the weasel girl's swings against her weapon while dodging Johann's whipping tail.

"You doing alright there Naofumi," asked Darius as he noted how his friend was holding his arm.

"He got me somehow," said the Shield Hero, "but it doesn't make sense, I took way too much damage from just the tip of his weapon."

"That's because it didn't bypass your defense," said Darius as the analysis of the attack went through his head. But as he was about to explain further, Therese fired a blue jet of flame in their direction. The two heroes raised a defense, but the flame dispersed before it reached them as an apologetic voice called to Therese.

"I see," said the woman as she took the gem out, the same one Naofumi had made for her, "You don't want to fight him."

"You alright over here Therese," asked L'Arc as he and Kizuna moved back to check on their friend.

"It's fine, I simply need to use a different jewel," she replied as she pulled another stone out of her belt.

"We'd best take a moment too," said Naofumi as he and Darius pulled out some mana potions and tossed them to their party members as soon as they returned to their sides. "I want to test out something."

"Do what you gotta do I guess," said the Armory Hero as he switched to replicas of Figneria's daggers. The Shield Hero nodded before calling out to their enemy.

"You got me pretty good L'Arc," said Naofumi, "I thought you bypassed my defense but you really reversed it on me didn't you?"

"Right on the money," said L'Arc as he rested his weapon on his shoulder, "the higher my target's defense the more damage my attack can inflict on them. It's really a perfect counter against the Shield Hero!"

"And just why are you flat out telling him about it?" Questioned an annoyed Kizuna.

"You know my policy is fighting fair," said L'Arc with his arms spread wide, "that means I have no secrets."

"And yet you waited 'til now to reveal you even had such an attack," Darius pointed out, "if you really had no secrets you would've spilled all the beans before the fight even began. You might be a lot more heroic than the other three but it's clear you're also a bit self-righteous."

"But what the heck, we can play their game too," said Naofumi as a smirk suddenly crossed his face before calling out to L'Arc again, "You got a good strategy going! Defense reversal would mess up a tank like me pretty quickly, though it's kind of obvious all I need to do is dodge or use airstrike shield. Do you got a way around those?" While he did this, Darius quickly whispered the phrase 'bite the gem' to Johann, who responded with the dragon's version of a grin.

The scythe wielder seemed to pause for a moment at this development before smirking himself. "I guess that means our cards are all on the table now," he said while taking a ready stance alongside Kizuna, "So let's do this!" The two heroes shot forward once more and engaged their respective opponents. Darius was quick to intercept Kizuna with a combination of slashes with his daggers that the fishing girl easily fended off before countering with her air blade skill.

The Armory Hero dodged the attack and landed a short distance away, but it wasn't far enough as his opponent quickly closed the gap with another slashing attack. But this was part of the plan as Rifana intervened and blocked the strike with her mace at the last second. "Repulse!" called the weasel girl as yellow energy reflected the force of Kizuna's blow, causing her to go airborne and land a few feet away.

It was at this point that L'Arc let out a pained yell as Naofumi managed to get his arm with the snakes from his viper's shield. Therese attempted to intervene by launching a blue fireball, which was completely extinguished by Johann racing right through it with his open mouth snapping at the magic gem user. She managed to dodge his initial attack but wasn't fast enough to avoid being whipped backwards by the dragon's tail. "Therese," said Kizuna as she raised her sword in preparation to use a skill.

"Eyes on your opponents!" Said Darius as he and Rifana rushed forward.

"Form one: Pitfall!" Said the otherworldly hero in response as she stabbed the ground and created another hole in the whale corpse. But the Armory Hero was ready as he conjured a chain across the hole for him and Rifana to leap off of. Kizuna anticipated this and leapt towards them, readying her next skill.

"Now, Sky Bound Wheel Swing!" Said Darius as he conjured a replica of L'Arc's scythe and swung, unleashing a smaller but still fairly powerful tornado attack. Kizuna only managed to correct her trajectory in the air enough to avoid some of the attack as the razor edges of the cyclone still hit her with enough force to knock her out of the air and onto the ground. L'Arc followed shortly after as he slammed into an airstrike shield midflight before getting a nasty cut on his arm from Raphtalia.

"Protect them!" yelled Therese, having somehow managed to avoid Johann long enough to fire two large fireballs at her enemies. Naofumi managed to block the shot with his shield while Johann moved in front of the one meant for Darius, only wincing a bit from the brunt of the attack. Not wanting to give the enemy another chance to recover, the Armory Hero raced around Johann as he readied the strongest skill he'd seen the scythe wielder use.

But just as he reached striking distance, a powerful and painfully familiar bolt of purple energy fired from the sky, just barely missing a direct hit as it knocked the cardinal hero to the ground. 'Shit, I know that attack,' he thought as he moved up to a half-kneeling position.

"Need I remind you our time is limited," said the voice of Glass as she gracefully fell from the sky and landed next to her regrouping comrades, "please stop fooling around."

"Oh hey Glassy," said L'Arc, "what brings you here?"

"I got tired of sitting around waiting," replied Glass, "and I was slightly worried about Kizuna. Are you alright dear?"

"I'll be fine," said Kizuna as she patted herself down a bit, "that Armory guy just caught me by surprise."

"I did warn you, did I not," said Glass, "he may be an imitator and a relative unknown in comparison to the other cardinal heroes. But he is just as dangerous as any one of them, which is why I advised killing him along with the Shield Hero. Speaking of which." She turned her attention to Darius and Naofumi as the two heroes gathered with their parties, "It's good to see you both, Naofumi, Darius."

"Can't really say the feeling's mutual," replied the Shield Hero.

"Understandable," said Glass as she opened her fans and assumed a battle stance, "Zero stance Rondo: Reverse Four Seasons!" A hail of glowing yellow energy blades flew from her fans and impacted against Naofumi's Viper Shield and Darius's Replica siderite shield. It pushed them back a bit, but the two heroes managed to endure the assault as Glass unleashed her next attack.

"Rupture Stance Rondo: Tortoise Shell Cracker!" Called the fan wielder as she fired a bolt of purple energy from her fan. Naofumi moved in front of Darius and was able to take the brunt of the attack without suffering any real damage. "I'm impressed. You not only blocked my attacks but managed to inflict this much damage to Kizuna and the others without using your trump cards."

"Wait what," said L'Arc, "what do you mean trump cards?"

"When the two of them truly get serious," explained Glass, "they bring out far more ominous powers. What you've seen so far is not the full extent of their abilities. You're both much stronger than the last time I faced you."

"Flattery will get ya nowhere when you're trying to kill us," said Darius.

"Well you shouldn't be feeling cocky at the moment anyway," said Glass as she resumed her fighting stance, "because I've come to insure your deaths by my own hands." The Armory Hero and Shield Hero simply took their own battle stances along with their parties. Now that all the players were assembled, the fight for the fate of their worlds resumed.

**At last the identity of Glass's group has been revealed, heroes fighting for their own world! On a slightly more somber note, we shall be approaching the current finale for this story next chapter, but fear not, I'll have something of an announcement when that time comes. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the heroes pair off against their respective otherworldly opponents! 'Til then. **


	28. Preparing for the Future

**Preparing for the Future **

**Hello everyone and welcome to the season finale of Armory of the Forgotten Hero, hopefully FFN will send out a notification this time, anyway: curioustomjerry: I ran out of room so I couldn't fit the guard captain's punishment in, but I did make a quick mention that Motoyasu now has slaves in one of the last chapters. They are his former party members who now have to be completely truthful with him. Gadget Boy: I've taken a couple of your suggestions into consideration and I'm sure everyone will be happy to hear this, Rishia's eviction from Itsuki's party will play out very differently. How different, well let's read and find out!**

Off the Coast of Cal Mira: With the Fleet

Figneria cut through another pair of fish monsters before leaping over the railing where the captain's wheel was located and stabbed both daggers into the head of a fishman. "Work on moving the wounded below deck or to the higher sections of the ship," she ordered to the soldiers who weren't currently occupied fighting monsters, "we need to stem the tide here and insure no monsters reach the other heroes!" A resounding 'yes mam' answered her orders as the soldiers continued to battle on against the creatures of the wave. 'From the looks of it, the Queen has already realized the situation,' surmised the mercenary woman as she cut down another few monsters before glancing towards the defeated boss whale, 'the wave hasn't ended despite the death of that creature, which must mean those adventurers are likely responsible for it continuing. At this point, the best any of us can do is stave off any monsters headed in that direction, and hope our heroes can prevail.'

And the battle on the whale's corpse had only intensified thanks to Glass's arrival as the fan wielding woman was currently trading blows with the Armory and Shield heroes. Darius was being driven back at the moment as he deflected blow after blow with Raisetsu Arashi, feeling more than a little glad he upped the ax's durability. After one particularly brutal blow, the Armory Hero nearly lost his balance, leaving him open for Glass to lunge straight at him. But Naofumi, proving reliable as always, moved in front of the attack with his Soul Eater's shield snapping at the woman in the blue kimono.

For some reason, Glass actually retreated from the sight of it. 'That's weird,' thought Darius as he drove her further back by firing several spears from his portals, 'she didn't move away like that even in the face of the curse series.' He wasn't given much more time to ponder about it, however, as Therese tossed a glowing yellow gem in their direction. "Bejeweled compressor bomb!" she called as the gem exploded like a high powered grenade.

"Meteor shield!" Called Naofumi as his siderite shield appeared and formed a blue barrier around all of them just as the blast occurred.

"Wonderful, she's got jewel bombs too," remarked Darius until he noticed Glass was preparing to use Zero Stance Rondo. But Therese was also summoning forth power from her gems, this time in the form of ice. Realizing it was a dual attack, the Armory Hero summoned his own replica siderite shield. "Crap, Meteor Shield!" A second, smaller blue barrier formed around the two parties in response.

"And Shield Prison!" Called Naofumi, adding yet another layer of protection against the coming attack.

"Bejeweled Blizzard!" Called Therese as a miniature snowstorm appeared and swirled around Glass's fans.

"Combo skill," she said, "Reverse Hail Seasons!" A collection of not only yellow energy blades but fast moving hail rained down on the triple layered defense, managing to break through the first meteor barrier, then the second before impacting against the collection of ethereal green shields. But the final line of defense held as the attack ended and Naofumi let the defense skill down. Both he and Darius's breathing was a bit labored though.

"Are you alright Master Naofumi, Darius?" Asked Raphtalia, voicing the question of both parties.

"Just flippin' peachy," said the Shield Hero between breaths as he switched back to viper shield.

"I might have a slight chill, but otherwise I'm still standing," answered Darius.

"Now this is surprising," said Glass, "even that combo skill wasn't enough to bring you down. I suppose you both really have gotten better. Everything I learned in our last battle is relatively useless now."

"Guess all that leveling up at Cal Mira actually paid off," said Rifana with a smirk, "lucky us."

"And that's not all," said Darius as he switched to his replica legendary bow, "We've got some new tricks, Illusory Arrow!" Several copies of the Armory Hero suddenly appeared to surround Glass's group as Kizuna, L'Arc and Therese looked around in confusion. "Fire!" yelled the numerous illusions as they all let loose white energy arrows. Glass, Kizuna and L'Arc were quick to deflect both the illusions and the real arrows with their weapons while Therese summoned a circle of blue flame from her hand to hold off the barrage.

"You weren't kidding when you said you'd picked up some skills from that replica weapon's memories," said Naofumi as he watched the display.

"Yeah but it won't last long," said the real Darius who was still standing with the group, alternating targets with each arrow fired to sow even more confusion. "We need to split them up somehow, or at least figure out a way where they can't support each other. Our numbers are about the only advantage we have at the moment."

"Maybe not the only advantage," said Naofumi, "I want to test something, but in order to do that, I'll have to fight Glass alone."

"But that's crazy!" exclaimed Raphtalia, "The only option you'd have would be, you aren't planning on using that shield are you?"

"The reason I'm suggesting this plan is so I won't have to resort to that shield," replied Naofumi reassuringly. Raphtalia and Filo thought about it for a moment before nodding in understanding.

"If that's the case, then I'll square off with L'Arc," said Darius as the last of his illusions were destroyed by enemy counterattacks, "Rifana, you and Raphtalia keep Kizuna away from Johann and Filo so they can focus on Therese."

"But I can help you against him!" Pleaded Rifana, "If you take him on alone you-."

"Might have to resort to those bands, yes," admitted the Armory Hero, "but aside from Glass he's the strongest one here and he's least familiar with all of my abilities. Plus, Raphtalia will need your help to keep Kizuna back. Trust me, it'll be bad if she reaches these two." Rifana still looked unsure as she glanced at the two mounts, but eventually she nodded in understanding and readied her mace.

"Alright then," said Naofumi, "Let's go!" He and Darius immediately headed for the side of the whale and as the Shield Hero summoned an airstrike shield over the water to use as a platform.

"You won't escape so easily," said Glass as she and L'Arc moved to intercept them.

"Now High Quick!" said the Armory Hero as he suddenly changed back to his ax and charged the scythe wielder. The man was clearly surprised by his speed as he just managed to block his initial strike before being pushed back by a barrage of high speed blows.

"No you don't," said Kizuna as she charged toward Darius, only to be intercepted by Raphtalia and Rifana while Johann and Filo launched their own attacks at Therese, who just managed to defend herself from a jet of flame with her own wall of fire.

"You'll be dealing with us," said Raphtalia as she and Rifana drove Kizuna back.

"So don't try slipping away," added the weasel girl as she used a powerful downward swing which forced Kizuna to retreat back towards Therese. Meanwhile, the Armory Hero managed to unleash his powerful combo swing, lightning blizzard, against L'Arc.

"Air Scythe Suite First Stance: Wind Blade!" declared the scythe wielder as he protected himself from the attack with a powerful tornado. Some of the lightning and cold still managed to get through, fortunately, as L'Arc was slightly unsteady on his feet once his defensive twister cleared up. 'Shit,' thought Darius, 'I wasn't fast enough to catch him off guard. Now I have to wait at least a minute on the ax to cool down before using the attack again.'

"Not bad," said L'Arc as he resumed his stance, "I was bored out of my mind fighting those monsters on Cal Mira. But fighting you guys, is way more fun!" The scythe wielder charged again as Darius attempted to slow him down by firing a few swords and spears from his portals. But L'Arc either deflected or dodged them as he quickly closed the gap and swung. The cardinal hero ducked the first strike and blocked the second before countering with a few swings of his own, which his opponent managed to parry before spinning around with a swing under his guard.

Darius was just fast enough to avoid an actual hit from the blade, but it still tore into his armor a bit. 'Wonderful,' he thought as he struck back with another couple of hits, 'protective equipment of any kind is practically useless against a guy who can reverse defense.' And L'Arc clearly knew it as he actually aimed his strikes at the more protected parts of Darius's body.

The Armory Hero decided to change tactics as he switched to twin curved blades and went more on offense, managing to drive back his opponent slightly with the renewed ferocity of his blows. But L'Arc adjusted quickly, ducking and attempting a sweep kick which would've taken him out if he hadn't backed up. The consequence, however, was the breaking of his rush which gave the scythe wielder an opening to strike back with a few skillful swings of his, one of which managed to graze Darius's arm. But it also left him open to a spinning back kick in the stomach, causing him to stumble back before just managing to duck the weapons fired from a portal on either side of him.

"Harpoon chain," called Darius as four portals in diamond formation appeared in front of him and launched the spear-tipped chains. But L'Arc was quick to react as he swung his scythe, creating a blast of wind which deflected all of the incoming projectiles. "Arrow Storm," he called out the skill just as his current one ended, opening yet another portal above his adversary's head which rained arrows down on his position.

"Not quite," said the scythe wielder as he spun his weapon over his head, again deflecting all of the incoming projectiles. What he didn't realize immediately was the skill was meant as a distraction, allowing the Armory Hero to use yet another weapon, the whirlwind Warhammer, which he sent spinning at the currently pinned hero. "Crap, first stance wind blade!" Like before, a second scythe appeared to block the hammer before a swirling wind surrounded L'Arc, deflecting both the hammer and the remaining arrows.

'Even my best weapons aren't getting through that blasted skill,' thought Darius as he caught his returning hammer. "Ya know," said L'Arc as the tornado dissipated and he held his weapon at the ready with his same smile on his face, "I heard you're capable of not only copying weapons but fighting styles as well. Why don't we test what you said about being a fairly quick learner?"

"Since you're insisting," replied the Armory Hero as he produced his mask and a replica of L'Arc's scythe, "Though you mind explaining to me why this thing is called a vassal weapon?"

"Well I don't remember all the details myself," admitted L'Arc as he held his weapon higher, "but the main difference between the vassal and cardinal weapons is the vassal weapons choose which wielder they're passed down too. Couldn't tell you what this scythe saw in me, but I will carry out the duty it's given me, so let's keep at it!" Darius didn't need to be told twice as he and L'Arc charged each other, clashing in a display of sparks as they both twirled their weapons about. While the Armory Hero hadn't seen a lot of the scythe wielder's moves, he made up for it by adding in both staff and halberd techniques, allowing him to at least hold his own as long as he was on the attack.

But the moment L'Arc got an opening, he would be on the attack and start pushing Darius back using new moves whenever he could to catch the cardinal hero off guard, including a feint where he pulled back his strike at the last second before twisting and knocking Darius in the side of the head with the back end of his weapon. The Armory Hero attempted a counter swing, but L'Arc managed to avoid it and strike back with a horizontal swing that Darius just managed to block. The scythe wielder pressed his advantage with a combination of upward vertical swings to knock aside his opponent's guard. Darius responded by stepping back to avoid his next swing, only to be hit by a yellow blade of energy from the weapon that sent him rolling backwards a few feet before landing in a half-kneeling position.

'Shit,' thought the Armory Hero as he noticed a shallow cut in his stomach, 'Naofumi mentioned he could do something like that.' The sound of his opponent leaping into the air signaled him to another incoming attack. Thinking quickly, Darius managed to switch to his replica legendary spear and block the oncoming downward strike. "State of Emptiness!" he called as the weapon glowed white and sent the scythe wielder flying back.

"Nice, an attack reflecting skill! You've certainly got spirit," admitted L'Arc, still smiling despite the situation, "It's obvious you still lack some experience but being able to switch up weapons on the fly like that almost makes up for it."

"Well you can only learn so much by copying," replied Darius, "though I'm personally starting to wonder about your conviction."

"Oh and how's that," questioned L'Arc, "I thought I made it pretty clear what my mission is here."

"Your mission yes," said Darius, "but given that Glass has shown up, it means you're running out of time. In fact, I already got the countdown happening on my HUD. So the question becomes, why have you been jacking around up to this point and why did you put out the fires on the ships that you started in the first place?"

"I happen to enjoy a good fight is all," replied L'Arc, "thought that was obvious at this point. As for the ships, they aren't part of our objective so we tried not to harm them."

"Seems a moot point," Darius said, highlighting one major issue, "you're killing them all in the end one way or the other. That's kind of the result of dooming an entire world. Or, are you helping out in this world to assuage your own guilty consciences?"

"It's not like that and you know it," said L'Arc as an actual frown crossed his face, "Our homes, our families, our people are all waiting for us to stop the waves. And the only hope for us to do that is to end the heroes of another world. It's a bad situation, but aren't you willing to do the same if it means you can protect this world?" Strangely, Darius actually started to chuckle a bit as his mask disappeared to reveal his still relatively neutral face. "What's so funny?"

"It's just the fact that you're a pretty good judge of character from what I hear," said Darius, "but in this case I'm afraid you've got me pegged wrong. When it comes to this world, I really wouldn't shed many tears if a good portion of it up and burned."

"What," said L'Arc, "that can't be right. You're fighting way too hard for someone claiming to not care, why else would you be one of this world's heroes if not to protect it?"

"I don't know how it is for a vassal wielder," said Darius, "but for a cardinal hero, we were called to this world against our will and made to risk our lives protecting a land that isn't our own. And I don't know about your world, but in the four or so months I've been here Naofumi and I have had to deal with racists, corrupt and/or sicko nobles who love to abuse their power, a trash king and his bitch princess daughter who made it their personal mission to screw over the Shield Hero and his friends, an actual religious cult that intentionally omitted me and denounced Naofumi all before making numerous attempts to kill us, and three wannabe heroes whose heads are so far up their asses that one even managed to fuck up an entire country. It's only been very recently that things have been changing for the better and a fair bit of it is because we helped to fix it. Does that really sound like the kind of world you'd want to risk your life for?"

"Then what is it that you're fighting for?" Questioned L'Arc with a raised eyebrow, "there has to be something?"

"Just a few precious gems really," Darius answered simply, "a few sparkling lights I've found among all the grime and darkness of this world. If I could take them all out of here to a better place I would. But since I can't I'll have to settle for protecting their home even if it does suck to a large degree. Because to me, their presence in this world is what makes it worth saving, worth fighting for, worth giving my life for and even worth risking my very soul for!" The bands of Greed and Sloth appeared then, covering his hands with the signature clawed gloves as his now antlered mask reformed over his head. "So let's see who's really got the conviction to save their world, Meteor Thrust!"

L'Arc got over his initial shock just in time to deflect the attack with his weapon, but not without sliding back a fair bit. He was pushed even further back as his opponent seemed to suddenly appear, moving with the added speed of high quick as he took swing after swing at him with a replica legendary sword. 'What's going on,' thought L'Arc, 'why has some of my strength disappeared?' At one point, his opponent managed to get in under L'Arc's guard and cut his leg, but couldn't prevent him from jumping away as the effect of High Quick wore off. "Bastard," said L'Arc as he moved in with a counter, "Sky Bound Wheel Swing!" A miniature tornado raced from his weapon towards the curse series user, who quickly switched back to his replica vassal scythe.

"Air Scythe First Stance: Wind Blade!" Declared the Armory Hero as he generated his own tornado to block the attack. L'Arc took the opening and rushed in just as the two skills dissipated to find, nothing? A sudden movement alerted him as the Armory Hero appeared out of thin air, thanks to his replicated ability 'hide sword', swinging his replica legendary blade. The other world hero just managed to block the strike but not the powerful follow up kick that sent him rolling back.

"Now block this, Phoenix Blade!" A large white bird of flame emerged from the sword and raced towards L'Arc, who realized he'd been backed up to the edge next to the water.

"You'll have to do better than that," said L'Arc as he again resorted to his First Stance Wind Blade. The flames were deflected around the attack as the scythe wielder looked around for his opponent, only to realize he was right above him with a replica legendary spear. And with the flames around him and the water behind him, he had nowhere to go.

"Tornado defenses are often weakest at the top, so take this! JUDGEMENT!" Called the Armory Hero as he unleashed a blast of white light that obliterated the section he was aiming for.

"Is there really nothing we can do," the Queen said aloud as she witnessed a pair of powerful blasts going off, one from the whale and another from the ship Naofumi had leapt too.

"The monsters have been handled over at my ship," said Figneria as she climbed aboard the Queen's vessel, "how are the heroes faring?"

"They appear to be holding their own, maybe even winning," explained Mirelia Q. Melromarc, "but I fear what might happen if they continue to wield the curse series."

"If there is a boat available, I should be able to provide-hmm?" Both the mercenary woman and the Queen looked down to see Rishia floating on one of the cohol barrels.

"Can someone help me out of here, I fell out of the boat because of my party members," said Rishia.

"Wait a moment, that can work," said the Queen as a look of relief crossed her face. Back over at Naofumi's battleground, the situation was turning in his favor, but.

"You're still standing after that," said the Shield Hero with his wrath shield out. He'd managed to hold her off with the Soul Eater Shield up to this point after figuring out that her life was drained by it instead of just SP. That was until she took a soul soothing potion which, for some reason, gave her a massive boost. Raphtalia intervened after that, giving him the chance to strike back with Dark Gas Burning, a powerful twister of green fire. But even standing among the flaming wreckage, the vassal fan wielder refused to go down.

"I cannot give up yet," said Glass as she crossed her fans, "I am fighting for-huh?" L'Arc suddenly came flying through the air and landed right next to her, groaning painfully. He'd clearly taken a beating judging by the cuts and several burns along his body. Darius arrived just after that, landing next to Naofumi with Raisetsu Arashi now equipped.

"No, you've had to resort to that power too," said Rapthalia as she observed the Armory Hero's Curse Series state.

"I didn't have many other options," replied Darius in his currently altered voice, "but time is running out now, so how do we want to end this?"

"This will end with both of your deaths!" declared Glass as she gathered energy to her fans.

"No Glassy," exclaimed L'Arc as he struggled to his feet, "that move's too risky!"

"Guess we have no choice," said Naofumi as he summoned his largest Wrath Shield while also conjuring his dragonic armor. Darius responded by opening a large portal above their opponents with powerful gold weapons protruding from them.

"But Fitoria said those powers come at a cost, if you keep using them!" Raphtalia tried to say.

"I'm just an outsider in all of this," said Naofumi, "once the waves are gone, Darius and I will probably go back to our own worlds. The only thing I have to fight for is you, Filo, Melty and our friends which is more than enough reason to use this shield. I know Darius would say the same." The Armory Hero simply nodded as he summoned even more weapons from the portal while Glass continued to charge her energy before crossing the jewels of her fans. The power of all three heroes surged as Raphtalia's pleas for them to stop went unheard.

"Golden Rein, Blutopfer-," the two heroes started to say before the Queen's voice suddenly cut in.

"Sir Heroes!" Called the Queen from her ship, "Use these instead!" Both cardinal heroes directed their attention to a boat that was carrying both Rishia and Figneria, filled to the brim with barrels.

"As source of thy power I order thee," said Rishia with her hands held out, "decipher the laws of nature and unleash a gust of wind. Zweit Wind Blast!" The barrels glowed green as a magic seal appeared over them. A sudden wind then proceeded to hurl them in the air where they burst open.

"Perfect, Meteor Shield!" Called Naofumi as he formed a blue barrier to protect them from the raining red liquid. It was surprisingly effective as Glass's entire attack was interrupted.

"Aren't those cohol barrels," noted Raphtalia as they watched Glass collapse to her knees, apparently drunk.

"W-what did you do," the fan wielder almost slurred as she tried to shakily get to her feet.

"They coholed us," said a now drunk L'Arc, "gosh we are gonna have such a bad hangover when we get back."

"Then I take it that means you've had enough," said Naofumi as he and Darius stepped forward.

"No, I will kill you both," Glass almost hiccupped as she collapsed back to her knees.

"Well since we only have a minute, perhaps you could-," Darius started to say before Raphtalia called out a warning. Kizuna suddenly appeared out of thin air as she aimed a strike at Naofumi's head. Darius quickly intercepted the strike with his arm, noting that it didn't really cut into his flesh. The fishing girl used the opportunity to leap back and stand between them and her allies as Therese also scrambled onboard the ship.

"Dammit," Kizuna swore as she glanced at her blade for a moment.

"It is extraordinarily curious," said the Armory Hero, "tell me: why are you so sure that you need to kill us when your own cardinal hero can't actually harm people?"

"So you know then," said Therese with a sigh as Kizuna refused to meet his eye. Darius responded by stowing his ax and summoning a replica of Kizuna's blade.

"Part of my analysis for creating a replica includes the weapon's limitations," replied the Armory Hero as he held the blade up, "this is not a vassal weapon but a cardinal weapon designed specifically for slaying monsters. At best it could hurt people but not kill them."

Kizuna sighed as she lowered her blade, "I had hoped that the so-called ominous power you used might make a difference, and if not I'd at the very least be able to fight off your mounts. But it seems even now you're both still human."

"But we can still wi-," Glass tried to say before collapsing a little. Kizuna moved to help her up as Therese pulled L'Arc to his feet.

"I'm sorry Glass but we've lost this time," said Kizuna, "I know you'll yell at us later, but at least you'll be alive to do it."

"Make no mistake, however," said Therese as the group began glowing yellow, "we will meet again."

"Wait a minute," said Naofumi, "you have to tell me why-."

"See you around kiddos," called L'Arc as the four person group floated into the sky and disappeared. As soon as they left, the sky returned to normal as the wave disappeared.

"I guess that means we managed to win this one," said Darius as he and Naofumi dispersed their curse series. Immediately upon doing so, the Armory Hero collapsed to one knee.

"Darius," said Rifana as she arrived with Johann and Filo before leaping down to examine his wounds.

"I'll be alright," replied the Armory Hero as he took the offered healing potion and drank it, "I just got knocked around a bit fighting L'Arc. The real pain's gonna be the slower recovery from the curse series."

"But it appears the rest of you are alright," said Figneria as she climbed aboard with a groaning Rishia on her shoulder. The two of them had unfortunately been in the splash zone for the cohol barrels.

"It might've been worse if you two hadn't shown up," Darius pointed out, "that move Naofumi was about to use. Well, my analysis says the kickback was gonna hurt, so thanks a lot Rishia, Figneria."

"Sure thing," groaned the green-haired girl, "but I really hate wine."

Cal Mira Main Island: Later that Day

"Are you sure you should be walking around right now," asked Rifana as the two groups walked through the marketplace. "You said your mana recovery still wasn't quite complete yet."

"Yeah but all my wounds have basically closed up thanks to chugging enhanced health potions," replied Darius who was currently out of his armor with a few visible bandages. The party had decided after the battle that they should take a break from leveling up and actually enjoy the vacation, hence why the rest of them were also currently not wearing armor over their attire. "So long as I don't get into any fights I should be fine. Besides, I thought it'd be best to give you two your gifts in person."

"Gifts?" Repeated the weasel girl as her ears twitched questioningly.

"Just before we went to the beach I had a special order made," explained the cardinal hero as he stopped at a stall and had a quick word with the owner. After about a minute, the man returned with a small yellow stone and a black choker which also contained a yellow stone. "This one is a more refined stone than the one you have at the moment," explained Darius as he handed it to Rifana, "It'll boost your magic a bit and provide some protection against fire which, after today's fight, looks like something we'll need."

"How much was this?" Questioned Rifana as she examined the stone, noting it was fairly good quality.

"Don't worry about it," said Darius, "making sure you're safe is worth way more. Which is also why I got this for you Figneria." He handed the woman the choker. "It's designed to grant a fair bit of poison and blight resistance. I'd been meaning to get one ever since you said you were coming along."

"Thank you," said Figneria, seeming almost surprised at receiving a gift.

"Hey Boss what about me, I fight in this party too ya know," said the dragon boy grumpily.

"Relax," said Darius as he pulled out a necklace with multiple monster teeth and a blue triangle-shaped stone. "I was gonna give this to you during our next flight, but I suppose now's a good time too with the way you handled yourself during the wave. The stone on this thing comes from flying monsters that hang around in storms and provides wind protection. It'll help out a lot if and when we fly through some bad weather."

"Cool," said the dragon boy as he accepted the necklace and put it on. The group proceeded to catch up with Naofumi's party after that as they finally got to engage in some actual fishing along one of the rocky shores.

"Any reason you couldn't have just rented a pole like the rest of us," questioned Naofumi as he noted Darius was using a replica of Kizuna's pole to fish.

"It's a better pole at a cheaper price," the Armory Hero pointed out, "you telling me you wouldn't use a fishing shield if you had one?"

"I suppose that's a good point," admitted Naofumi as Raphtalia managed to pull yet another fish from the water.

"And besides, just having a better pole doesn't appear to be making a lot of difference," noted Darius as Rifana also caught another fish.

"Well we kind of have an advantage here," said Rifana as she pulled the fish off her hook.

"It comes from growing up in a fishing village," said Raphtalia as she pointed at some dark clouds in the distance, "One of the things we learned was how to fish, another was how to identify rough weather and seas. Clouds like those, for example, will be a bit too dangerous to safely sail through."

"Not that we need to sail to get back to Melromarc," Darius pointed out, "which reminds me, we still need to find Rishia to-gah." He gripped his stomach as a slight pain lanced through him.

"That can wait until tomorrow I believe," said Figneria, "It looks like you still need to heal a bit longer." The Armory Hero merely sighed as they packed up and headed back.

Resort Inn: That Night

'The time will come when the heroes have to choose what they're fighting for.' Fitoria's words rang in Darius's head as he looked out from the balcony of his room. 'Is this what you meant about choosing, that we'd have to decide the fate of two worlds?' It truly was a bad situation no matter how one looked at it. On the one hand if they lost then this world would fall, but even if they won another would be lost in the process.

If it really came down to it Darius knew he'd do what he had to do to protect the ones he'd come to love, but he wondered if Naofumi would be capable of doing the same. Not only that, there was still the mystery of why Kizuna could only kill monsters if the supposed goal was taking out another world's heroes. He was so lost in thought he almost didn't notice the other presence in the room until she was wrapping her arms around him. "You seem awfully troubled for one who should be trying to relax," said Figneria, who Darius noted was wearing a very revealing, translucent night gown and the choker he'd gotten her, "what's on your mind?"

"At the moment," replied the cardinal hero, "I'm wondering what brings you here? I thought you had business with the Queen, which is why you agreed to escort Filo and Johann for their sleepover with Melty."

"My business was merely a quick discussion on the possibility of my continued aid to Melromarc," explained Figneria, "the Queen was more than happy to agree, so it was a very brief discussion. Well that and my agreement to take half of the Sword Hero's reward. It appears she wants to give them a little more incentive by rewarding those who contributed more. I had hoped to catch you in the springs but you'd gotten out before I could arrive."

"And why, pray tell," said Darius as he placed a hand on her curvaceous rear, causing her to gasp slightly, "Would you want to catch me there?"

"Why merely to reward you for doing what you said you would," replied Figneria as put a hand on his cheek, "you came back to us."

"Funny, that's what I was about to do," said Rifana, who'd managed to enter the room without them noticing. She was only wearing a robe as she'd just gotten out of the bath.

"Yeah there is the slight problem of-," Darius started to say before Rifana cut him off.

"It's not a problem," said the weasel girl with a sigh, "I just hoped to have a little alone time first. But you may as well join in since you're here, after all." Rifana proceeded to undo her robe before letting it drop to the floor as a smirk crossed her face, "this bed isn't going to break itself in." Needless to say, the waves were the last thing on Darius's mind for the rest of the night.

Approaching the Bow Hero's Quarters: That Morning

Johann was unusually quiet this morning. Or to be more precise, he seemed oddly fascinated by the rest of his party members as he continually sniffed them whenever he got the chance. "You know we all took bath's yesterday right?" Rifana pointed out, "So why do you keep sniffing us?"

"It's just," Johann tried to think of what to say, "You guys smell like you did the morning of the third wave. Have you been mating again?" Darius and Rifana did a double take at this question.

"What, mating, do you even know what that means?" Said the Armory Hero with a dismissive, and forced, laugh.

"Sure I do," said Johann, "Fitoria got pretty descriptive about it when I asked her why she had such a big problem with dragons. It was while you and Rifana were dancing so I guess you didn't notice, but anyway she listed all kinds of reasons including our nasty mating habits. Obviously I wanted to know what she meant by dragons in heat so then she explained mating to me."

"I wish she'd just stuck with the crown as the only gift," said Rifana with a sigh, "we put so much effort into not telling you until you were older."

"I don't see why," said Johann, "I would've known what it was immediately when my instincts started to kick in and even if I didn't it was obvious you three were up to something besides 'getting to know each other better.'"

"Depending on who you ask that's exactly what we were doing," said Figneria, "after all, there's much to be learned about someone through intimate contact."

"But we thought it best to not scar a child's mind with what actually goes on," explained Darius, "Or in your case give you ideas."

"You know I've killed people before right," said Johann with his hands behind his head, "I doubt there's anything about being intimate that's grosser than tearing a guy's head off."

"True, but I think we're still gonna hold off on telling you about one of the main differences between a guy and a gi-BOOOOOM!" Darius stopped speaking as the door to Itsuki's room was suddenly blasted off of its hinges and thrown into the opposite wall. The group got over their shock quickly as they rushed to the entrance with their weapons drawn and peered into the smoke-filled room to see, Mald and a couple of other party members slightly embedded in the wall. Itsuki himself and his other remaining party member had managed to take cover behind a now charred bed as they looked on in slight fear at their attacker, Rishia.

"So this is what you call justice then," said the trembling girl with tears flowing from her eyes as the flames of the fire spell she cast died down around her hands, "a party member gets accused of something and you don't even bother with a proper investigation."

"But Rishia," said Itsuki, "the evidence here clearly shows-."

"WHAT EVIDENCE!" Rishia actually yelled, "Just the word of all your party members? Even if I was responsible why should it matter if I broke an accessory?! With the crown's funding you can buy a dozen more!"

"It's not just about the accessory," said Itsuki, "The waves are getting more dangerous and it'd be irresponsible of me to let someone come along whose clumsy enough too-."

"Don't try to play the hero now!" Demanded Rishia with an accusing finger, "It's obvious by this point it's just an act, all of it has been an act! And what's worse is I fell for it. I actually believed you when you explained your ideals of justice to me, about bringing down the strong and protecting the weak. It sounded like something a real hero would say. But ever since I joined this party I've been nothing more than your errand girl who happens to have the occasional convenient magic spell to cast."

"I thought for so long that if I just proved myself you'd all truly accept me as a member of the party. It wasn't even my idea to use those barrels it was the Queen's, all I did was play the role I was given to help stop the wave. But now that I actually contributed something your true colors have come out: you're all nothing more than a bunch of pitiful glory hogs who only care about the spotlight!"

"But that's not true Rishia," said Itsuki, "We really do-."

"NO!" Rishia shot back as a small ball of fire scorched the spot right next to Itsuki, "I might've believed all your lies before but it's plain to me now why my country was so bad off after you left. You're not in it for the justice, only the self-satisfaction. You only hung around long enough to feel like a hero and then left once there was actual work to be done. Then you got angry when an imitator stepped in and did a better job than you, but from where I'm standing the only one imitating a hero right now is you!"

Itsuki was, surprisingly, at a loss for words at the moment. He clearly hadn't expected the normally quiet girl to go off like this. After a short pause, Rishia recomposed herself but still spoke with a surprisingly authoritative tone. "If you want to kick me out now, that's fine. I'm done with all of this, done with you, done putting up with your glory-hogging party members and done trying to see you as any kind of hero. So I'm taking my furry suit, my half of 'your' reward that the Queen offered me and I'm leaving. You should still have more than enough to buy another one of those tacky accessories that you seem to think is worth more than a party member."

She proceeded to do just that as she picked up said squirrel suit and one of two large sacks of silver coins before walking out the door, but not before stopping to get one last jab in. "And one more thing: don't ever come into my home again unless you want the rotten fruit treatment." She marched out the door then, stopping only once she noticed the presence of Darius and his party. "Oh, Sir Armory Hero. You, uh, didn't see all of that just now did you?"

"What, you mean the glorious sight of a bunch of assholes getting knocked down a peg?" said Rifana with a smile, "Nope, not a single bit."

"And even if we did we wouldn't tell if you're actually worried about it," added Darius.

"I see," said Rishia before perking up a bit, "Oh, where are my manners, did you all need something from the Bow?" 'She can't even stand to add hero to his title now,' thought Figneria, 'what has that party been doing up to this point?'

"Actually we came looking for you," explained Darius, "I'm not sure if Figneria ever got around to telling you but your father was wanting you to head back home. Apparently they've got a coronation planned now that the wave has passed."

"What, already!" exclaimed Rishia, "I mean I guess nearly a month has passed but I didn't expect the people to pick a new ruler so quickly."

"Well we did kind of limit their options a little after driving out, arresting or executing all the corrupt nobles," Darius said as he rubbed the back of his head, "I just hope the new guy is competent."

"I'm sure he will be," said Rishia, "but, uh, before we go." The green-haired girl fidgeted uncomfortably for a bit, "could I maybe, join yours or the Shield Hero's party? I still want to help fight the waves somehow." The group exchanged glances for a moment before most of them shrugged.

"I don't see an issue," said Rifana, "you've helped us out a surprising amount without even being in our party up to this point."

"Given my position as envoy I will be traveling a lot more," said Figneria, "I wouldn't mind the company and your parents wouldn't worry too much so long as they know you're with me or one of the heroes."

"You also weigh practically nothing, so I might not even notice the extra rider," said Johann before getting bonked on the head by Rifana, causing him to grumble out the next sentence. "Geez, why are girls so touchy about the weight thing?"

"Looks like we're in agreement," said Darius, "why don't you come along with us and say hi to Naofumi's group for a bit. I need to work out a couple of last minute details before we teleport out of here."

"Okay!" said Rishia happily as she followed along with the group. Needless to say there were a few noise complaints from the Inn's resident's shortly after that.

On Board the Queen's Ship:

"Words cannot express my gratitude for your help once again Sir Heroes," said the Queen as she spoke with Darius and Naofumi. Both of their parties were standing off to the side for a moment, preoccupied with either their own conversations, the sights of the sea and some were waving good bye to the islanders.

"We couldn't have done any of this alone," Naofumi pointed out, "we owe a lot to our friends and their help. I'd also like to thank you for all of your help, your majesty."

"I believe you're giving me a little too much credit," replied the Queen with a smile.

"Wasn't it you that came up with the plan to use the cohol barrels against Glass though," Darius pointed out, "and I don't even wanna think what kind of position we'd have been in without your ships."

"Yeah but even with all of that we still had a hard fight," said Naofumi, "and I'm not so sure we'll be as lucky next time, especially considering how little the other three heroes actually contributed in this fight."

"I quite agree," said the Queen, "It might be best that you try talking to them again at some point. Sooner would be better than later."

"I just hope getting their asses kicked was a wakeup call," sighed Darius, "or it'll just be another headache to deal with."

"That reminds me," said the Queen, "have either of you given any thought to what sort of reward you want? I still owe you for bringing down the Pope and your work here at Cal Mira only adds to that. If I don't present either of you with something soon I might never be able to repay you."

"Well since you're asking," said Naofumi, "we need to be gathering as many weapons and people as we can. I think I got an idea." The Shield Hero laid out his plan to the Queen and Darius for what he had in mind and by the end of it, the both of them could only smile.

"I suppose it's no surprise you'd request something selfless like this," admitted Mirelia Q. Melromarc, "I'll have my people get started on it right away." She turned to leave then as Darius moved to do the same.

"And that's my cue to get going then," said Darius, "If I'm right, we won't be short on weapons any time soon. Oh, and before I go I'd like to say sorry Naofumi."

"Sorry for what?" Questioned the Shield Hero, "I don't recall you doing anything wrong recently."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about L'Arc and Therese earlier," explained the Armory Hero, "I should've warned you up front about their weapons being strange, even if that was all I had to go on. You just looked like you were actually making a friend or two and I didn't wanna ruin your chances of having a buddy for once. Instead I probably just made your trust issues worse with this whole fiasco."

"Oh that," said Naofumi, "yeah I've turned that over in my head a few times and to be honest, I'm not as upset about it as I thought I'd be. Sure, L'Arc throws me off and I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to bring myself to do what has to be done if it goes that far. But I'm a lot less worried about it because I know you're here."

"I'm not sure I catch your meaning," said Darius, "I'm flattered, but still not sure what you're getting at."

"You've been looking out for me ever since we met," explained the Shield Hero, "After I was betrayed and falsely accused, doing my best to scrape by and only able to trust Raphtalia because she had a slave crest, you were the first one to believe I was innocent. I know you had a heads up and spotted the lie because you were looking for it, but even then you knowingly took a huge risk siding with an outcast who was viewed as a criminal. You've helped me fight the waves, start a living as a merchant, clean up the messes of the other heroes, stuck by me when the whole kingdom thought we kidnapped Melty, derailed more than one of Bitch and Trash's plans for me, saved my life a couple of times and put up with my attitude on top of all of it."

"You weren't that bad," said Darius, "rude and insensitive to a fair degree, yes, but you're getting better."

"And part of the reason I'm getting better and even laughing again is also because of you," said Naofumi, "Rifana was right when she said I was taking you a little for granted, so if anyone should be apologizing it should be me. I know you didn't intend any harm by deciding not to warn me about L'Arc and Therese, you were just trying to get me to overcome some of my own issues. In the end, you pulled through and did what you knew you needed to do like always. So I guess what I'm trying to say here is, thanks a lot, buddy."

Darius looked at Naofumi's outstretched hand for a moment before shaking it. He then proceeded to pull the Shield Hero into the classic bro hug. "Ah come here buddy! I didn't know you thought so highly of me, so don't you worry! The next time we face them, you just leave L'Arc and his off-putting personality to me."

"Okay, hug getting a little awkward now," grunted the Shield Hero before Darius released him and started walking towards his party.

"Good talk Naofumi and I appreciate having you as a friend too!" Said Darius, "Now then, I have a crowning that needs attending so good bye for the moment."

"Just try not to do anything crazy during the coronation," called Naofumi, "your track record with kings hasn't been great so far."

"I think you mean our track record," the Armory Hero corrected him, "but don't worry, I hear the new guy is relatively likable and if not, well, he owes me for his spot anyway. You guys just try to stay out of trouble and we'll see you all again in a day or two!" Naofumi and his party simply smiled and waved as Darius's party, plus Rishia, gathered together and teleported away to their next destination.

Capital of Koteraan: Coronation Day in the Throne Room

It had been a while since Darius and his party had last set foot in the royal castle of Koteraan, and that had been after a battle and rather memorable celebration. Now that all the signs of battle had been removed and the repairs had gotten underway, it actually felt like the seat of royalty once again. All of the gathered people outside cheered as the soon to be crowned monarchs approached the main hall and proceeded up the stairs, passing underneath the still hanging head of the deceased Leshen of the dark swamp. The Armory Hero and his party had been asked to stand on the right side of the throne to await the coming royals while the new royal advisor, a kindly man with a trimmed white beard wearing a purple cardinal's robe and a type of turban hat, stood on the left with a pair of bishops who held the crown jewels.

"So who do you think it is," whispered Rifana, "Ivyred may have invited us but he didn't really tell us anything other than that?"

"Apparently it's supposed to be a surprise," replied the Armory Hero, "Only Figneria knows and she doesn't want to tell." Said woman merely smiled knowingly as the doors to the throne room opened to admit, the Ivyreds?

"Whaaaaat, Mama, Papa?!" exclaimed a very confused Rishia as the rest of the party looked on in surprise. The gathered nobles applauded as Lord and Lady Ivyred approached and bowed in front of the throne before the royal adviser bade them to sit in the royal stations. Like Melromarc, the King sat in the left throne while the Queen sat in the right throne. The Royal Advisor then turned to address the gathered nobles and townsfolk.

"My dear people of Koteraan!" He said, "Today is a momentous occasion for us all. You were asked who should lead us and now the ones you chose sit upon the thrones. Tell me, do you still wish them to rule?!" His question was met with a thunderous cheer as the people answered with a unanimous 'Ai!' "And so the people have spoken, so it shall be! Bring forth the crown jewels!"

The bishops did as ordered, handing a pair of scepters to the Ivyreds while the king's crown was handed to the royal advisor. "Lord Ivyred," he said, "do you swear upon your title and your life that you shall uphold the laws, carry out the duties of the crown and protect this country and its people?"

"I so swear," replied Ivyred as he bowed his head.

"Then by the power vested in me by the people of Koteraan," said the advisor as he placed the head piece upon Ivyred's brow, "I now crown you, Lord Ivyred, King of Koteraan!" A momentous cheer filled the throne room as the advisor moved to the other throne. "And do you, Lady Ivyred, swear upon your title and your life that you shall uphold the laws, carry out the duties of the crown and protect this country and its people?"

"I so swear," she replied as she too lowered her head to accept the royal symbol.

"Then by the power vested in me by the people of Koteraan," said the royal advisor as he placed the symbol of authority upon her head, "I now crown you, Lady Ivyred, Queen and ruler of Koteraan!" The people cheered just as loudly for her as they did for the king. "My fellow people, I present to you now, Queen and King Ivyred, your new rulers of Koteraan!" If the applause hadn't been loud before they certainly were now as the gathered nobles and townspeople cheered for their new rulers, seeing in them a future of truth, justice and prosperity.

"I truly do thank you all," said the now King Ivyred, "In truth, this is not a position I wanted for either of us. But, it is the will of the people who wish for us to take the throne and thus it is our duty to insure their faith in us is not misplaced. So instead of honoring only us, I wish to honor another who, with the assistance of his party, gave us the opportunity to make our country prosper again." A quick signal from the King alerted the bishop's to approach Darius's party and kneel, presenting him with a box which they opened to reveal a leathery, swampy replica of his current white scarf cape.

"It is only thanks to you, Figneria, and the rest of your party that we are all here today," said the King, "You returned not only our daughter to us, but our country to the people. So as a symbol of our thanks, we wish to give you this cape: fashioned from what little remained of the Leshen you slew. It will protect you from even the worst blight, rains and many forms of poison."

"Oh, you didn't have to do all that," said Darius as he picked up the scarf cape to examine, "what you gave me from the weapon's vault was more than enough."

"It was all we could give at the time," said King Ivyred, "but it's difficult to express just how many of us you likely saved just by slaying that monster."

"But now that we're close to being a proper country again," said Lady Ivyred, "It's only right that we give the proper honor to our saviors. Therefore, with the restoration of the historical archives, we shall immortalize you, Sir Armory Hero, Lady Figneria and all of your comrades in our history. As our first royal decree, the capital of Koteraan shall be renamed Armorus. What say the people to this decree?!"

A thunderous cheer met her words as not a single voice of descent was heard, save for the Armory Hero himself. "Whaaaaaat!" exclaimed Darius, "I mean that's great but you really don't have to do that. I just helped out, the whole thing wasn't even our idea."

"It's pointless to try stopping them," said Figneria, "as far as they're concerned, naming the capital after the Armory Hero is the least they can do."

"Well I guess it's better than Saxion, or flat out calling it Darius," admitted the cardinal hero as he sent his current scarf cape to his inventory and tried on the Leshen scarf cape, "I just hope they remember to include how much each of you contributed because I sure as heck didn't liberate this place on my own."

"Well I'm stoked for it," said a grinning Johann, "now the history books are gonna know about the beginning of the legendary dragon emperor!"

"I just hope they don't make us sit around for hours to do illustrations," said Rifana, "keeping an awkward battle pose gets annoying after a while."

"Well on the upside, it appears our little magic caster is a princess now," remarked Darius as he rubbed Rishia's head.

"Oh no that's right!" realized the green-haired girl as she began looking around frantically, "but what am I supposed to do? I don't know anything about being a princess and now I might have royal duties I'm supposed to attend too so I might be late for something and I'm definitely not dressed like a princess, what am I going to do?!"

"The first step would be to calm down little one," said Figneria as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "the only part of your royal duties you need to worry about right now is preparing for the next wave."

"Which reminds me," Said Darius, "we have another Queen to see."

Ancient City Ruins: The Next Day

The air around the ruins held a strange type of tension, as if something was there but at the same time wasn't. A lingering presence that got stronger depending on where one was at in the ruins. The Armory Hero and the rest of his party felt it the moment they appeared. But at this point it was to be expected, especially in the former city of the golden tyrant. "I must admit I'm surprised," said Fitoria as the group looked around, "I had forgotten where exactly these ruins were. How did you acquire its location?"

"I encountered and reabsorbed the replica weapon made by my predecessor," explained Darius as they began walking through the mass of fallen stones, columns and collapsed buildings, "the pope had been using it, so I decided it was best if the weapon returned from whence it came. In exchange, I got a few new skills and several jumbled memories, one of which was you and him finding this place."

"Yes, this was his inspiration," said Fitoria as they turned a corner, "he had hoped to use the gathered weapons here. But when he found they were unusable he opted to try making one instead. He managed one success with help from the other heroes and hoped to create more if it proved effective, however, he fell in the fiercest battle of the waves to date shortly afterwards. He died, saving me."

"And he'd do it all again in a heartbeat with a smile on his face," said Darius, "especially for those he cared deeply for."

"Yes, he would," said Fitoria with a hint of nostalgia in her voice before pointing at a path leading underground, "It is there." The Armory Hero nodded as he and his party approached the stairway. Just like in his dream, there were a pair of large doors that looked capable of holding off a small army with a battering ram, and right below one of its large handles was a white dagger with blue jewels in it's hilt. "This is as far as any of us can go now. Only an Armory Hero can open these doors."

Darius looked back one last time as his gathered party and Fitoria gave an encouraging nod before he turned back and began walking down the stairs. It was a strange feeling as more memories flashed through his mind of his predecessor stabbing the dagger into the door. He knew its purpose was to purify the weapons of the curse series within, just like he knew what needed to happen next. He reached out and grasped the dagger.

It felt like he was being transported to a different place as he looked around himself to see nothing but darkness. "Now this is amusing," said an unfamiliar, distorted voice, prompting the Armory Hero to turn around to see, another Armory Hero. Only this one was covered in gold armor with a golden mask that sported two, gnarled ram horns on either side. There wasn't a doubt in Darius's mind that the one sitting in front of him on a twisted throne of gold weapons, was one of his predecessors. "I hope you'll prove wiser than the last one who came here," said the gold tyrant as he rested his head on his hand.

"He seemed plenty wise to me," Said Darius, "even the best of warriors can fall if a defective weapon gives out at the wrong time."

"Defective?" Questioned the Gold Tyrant, "An interesting label to so casually toss at the very weapons you've come to retrieve. Why else would you be here if not for my, no, for your armory?"

"I came here to see if they'd actually be worth retrieving," replied Darius, "if your curse still remains then quality weapons or not they're better off remaining here."

"You needn't worry about that," said the former hero with a dismissive wave, "your predecessor did a splendid job in removing the curse from the weapons, though he didn't quite finish with the door itself. But unlike him I sense the curse series within you, yes the Greed Series and the Sloth series dwell within your bands this very moment. You'll have no trouble opening the door but first, answer me this simple question: what do you plan to do with this gift I prepared for you?"

"Gift?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow. For a ghost, or whatever he was, he still thought surprisingly highly of himself.

"But of course," said the Gold Tyrant as he held his hand up. A massive number of weapons suddenly appeared in the air above and around them, organized by type and rotating in such a way that one could get a look at all of them to one degree or another. "This is and has always been my legacy, a legacy which can be obtained by no one other than another Armory Hero. It shall be a boon which I never had when I started out that can propel you to heights you never thought possible. You can permanently carve the name of the Armory Hero into history in such a way that no one will ever forget again the role of the fifth and greatest cardinal hero!"

"So that's it then," said Darius after a moment, making sure his disappointment was clear, "Your big plan in sealing up all of these weapons was in the hopes that someone else like you would come along and pick up where you left off? How many centuries have these weapons you personally selected and enhanced been useless because you couldn't stand to give them away to someone else to use?!"

"Who better to wield an armory than an Armory Hero," questioned the Gold Tyrant as he leaned forward, "all the other cardinal heroes would've done was copy them and move on, tossing them away to whomever they wanted. The fifth cardinal hero is the only one without a primary weapon and even the best of replicas cannot stand up to the might of the other cardinal weapons. The Armory Hero's strength lies in how many and how powerful the weapons are that he uses, and so long as you have more weapons than they have weapon transformations you will be one step ahead!"

"And I imagine it was that kind of thinking that got you killed and your city burned to the ground in the first place," said Darius as he suddenly reached out and grasped a dagger that looked exactly like the one on the door, "I've never wanted to be ahead of the other heroes, or to be more precise, I never wanted this job in the first place. I was called here to help with a problem that this world couldn't solve and I've been working my ass off helping out where I can to clean up all kinds of messes. Sure, having these powers is beyond awesome but the darker aspects of it have managed to hurt some of the ones I've grown to care deeply for and that is not a price I'm willing to pay just to be stronger than the other heroes."

"Then why have you come?" Questioned the Gold Tyrant, "Why do you seek the power of this armory? What use do you have for a legacy you clearly despise?"

"Because the power of this armory isn't for me," Darius answered simply as he yanked on the dagger. He was immediately returned to the here and now as he stumbled back a bit and looked at the blade in his hand. It's final glowing light seemed to go out as a rumbling sounded from the doors. His bands glowed then as a pair of white jewels on the handles responded, causing the massive doors to open and swing outwards as numerous torches were lit within. "Well that was trippy," he commented as he signaled for the rest of the party to follow him.

The weapon's vault was massive, easily stretching several hundred feet with weapons covering the walls on either side, all arranged in neat order by weapon type. Rifana gave a low whistle at the sight within. "Wow, we can definitely make use of all this," she said as she examined some of the maces.

"I just hope they have some cool gauntlets in here somewhere," said Johann as he poked one of the large halberds, almost knocking it over.

"Every weapon in here is of a superior quality," explained Fitoria, "the Gold Tyrant wanted weapons which could last for centuries, so he used his own weapon enhancing abilities to increase their durability and resistances to rust and corrosion. Even a regular spear from this vault would be worth twice as much as most normal spears."

"But it does beg a number of questions," said Figneria, "can you store this many weapons in your current state Darius?"

"Not in the slightest," replied the Armory Hero as he examined one of the battle axes, "but Naofumi and I thought about that and realized there's a certain underwater temple with a dragon's hourglass we can teleport too for a secondary location."

"That is wise. I would also advise against using this vault for continued storage," said Fitoria, "even though your predecessor purified it of the curse series, it's still possible that it could be lurking in here now that you removed the dagger."

"Believe me I don't really wanna come back to this place at all," said Darius, "that's why we have two storage locations. But before we head to the first one, I think you should have this." The cardinal hero knelt down and presented the dagger to the Filolial Queen. "It only seems right that you should have it, if for no other reason than to have another happy memory."

Strangely, a single tear fell from her eye upon seeing this display, nearly prompting Darius to make an apology before she spoke. "I'd forgotten until now. He'd wanted to give this to me as a gift, but I'd told him to use it for the armory here. He said it suited a queen like me."

"He was a bit of a romantic at heart from what I've seen," added Darius, "but it does suit you. Not to mention, it's the least I can do for all the help you've given us."

"Thank you, Darius," said the Filolial Queen as she took the dagger, holding it gingerly for a moment to examine it before stashing it away. "Now then, I believe you had somewhere you needed to be."

"You can come along too," said the Armory Hero, "it'd be nice to have your input about the place."

"Very well," said Fitoria, now back to being all business, "but I cannot stay away from the ruins for too long."

"Hey it'll just be nice to get the seal of approval real fast," said Darius as he signaled his party to gather around them, taking a few of the weapons for the ride as he teleported them to the next location himself.

Rurorona Village

Rifana couldn't hide her surprise as they arrived on top of one of the hills overlooking her home village. "What, what is all of this?!" She asked as she looked out at the numerous activities taking place.

"Surprise," said Darius, "This is our new home base. It was Naofumi's idea so he's got the main governing rights as the new lord of the Seaetto region. I've got a degree of authority myself and I can be acting lord whenever he's away, but the important thing right now is we have a place we and several others can now call home."

"So this is the reward you asked for from the Queen," surmised Rifana as she looked at the reconstruction going on, "and are those fishing boats out there?"

"We'll need a few sources of income," said Darius, "sure we could sell the vast majority of those weapons we just found, but that's not quite as permanent as say, a fishing industry."

"But who's going to teach them how to fish," said Rifana, "a lot of them are clearly new at it."

"We've got two experts already," Darius pointed out, "the fact that you can tell they're new says volumes about your own ability."

"Wait, you want me and Raphtalia to teach them how to fish?" Questioned a surprised Rifana.

"If you're so willing," said Darius, "even with my powers as the Armory Hero, I can only copy fighting moves. But you two, you've got a few years of actual experience." Rifana tried to think of an argument for that, but none came.

"And look," said Johann as he pointed out a few figures in the distance, "there's the old lady from the magic shop, and the old lady that kicks really hard, and Rino, and the old herbs guy, and Melty!" Funnily enough, Johann was jumping up and down so excitedly that even from their distance on the hill, the adventurer and second princess caught sight of them and waved back.

"I," Rifana began, "I just want to know one thing, why here?"

"Well the way Naofumi put it," said Darius as he crossed his arms with a hand on his chin trying to remember, "This place was the first to be hit by a wave. But now, it can be a symbol for others to rally behind as a place that is fighting back against the waves. That's why we need all kinds of weapons and supplies, because we'll be recruiting now. Oh, congratulations on being one of our first new recruits by the way Rishia."

"Oh, uh thank you," she said as she gave them all a determined look. "I'll give it my best." Darius smiled as he turned back to Rifana.

"The plan is to build and train an army larger than any of the other heroes who want to come at us," Darius continued, "of course I had my own reasons for agreeing to use this place as a home base."

"What reasons," asked Rifana with a strange note of dread in her voice.

"It's also a gift to you and Raphtalia," explained Darius, "you see Naofumi and I had a quick talk on the way back from the deck of the ship on the ride to Cal Mira. It was made even more clear when L'Arc and his crew tried to kill us. Fighting the waves is our main job but we decided on another goal as well, insuring you both find happiness. That way, should something happen or we're forced to go back to our own worlds, this world will still have people that can defend it. And I'll rest a lot easier knowing you're hap-Rifana?"

"You want to find happiness for us," said the weasel girl as she clenched her fists, "and here I thought you weren't as dense as Naofumi."

"Did I say something wr-UFFFFF!" Darius was cut off mid-sentence as Rifana tackled him to the ground.

"Is it really that hard to see," said Rifana as she clenched the fabric of his outfit tightly, "Do I really seem like I'm not happy?!"

"Rifana I-," Darius tried to say.

"SHUT UP!" She practically yelled as she buried her head in his chest. "I don't want to hear anymore! I'm tired of you and Naofumi saying you 'might' not have a choice or 'if' something happens to you, like you've already accepted that you're leaving this world and never coming back! Did it ever occur to you that I was already happy!"

Something finally clicked in the cardinal hero's head as he realized where he'd messed up. And damn did he feel like an idiot. But Rifana was only getting started. "I'm happier now than I'd ever thought I'd be again. Even before you did all of this for me, even before our first time in Koteraan I was happy."

"And the whole reason I was happy then and now is because of you! You helped teach me to live again, to feel something besides pain and sorrow, and showed me that I was still beautiful. I'm happy for every day I get to spend with you. I, I know what we agreed to at Reichnotts' mansion when I let you take me a second time, that an actual relationship was out of the question. But I realize now I was lying to you and to myself!"

"I naively thought that I could just lay with you a few times and get over whatever little crush had formed in my ten year old mind," said Rifana, "but it only made me want you more! I can't imagine my life without you in it now and I can't imagine myself being with anyone else," she lifted her head then, revealing her tear-stained eyes to Darius, "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, and even if you don't love me back the same way, Figneria, Johann, and Fitoria all love you to one degree or another too! So quit acting like we'll just move on if you disappear from our lives, because I don't want to live without you! I don't care whether or not you have a choice on returning to your world, I wouldn't even care if I had to fight the waves for the rest of my life so long as it meant you could stay with us, so please tell me, do you really want to return to your world like Naofumi does?!"

Darius didn't answer at first, his shock at Rifana's confession still playing through his head. It was then that tears began to flow from his eyes as he put a hand on Rifana's cheek. "Damn I'm such an idiot," he said, "all this time I thought it would only hurt you more in the end if I got your hopes up. But the uncertainty was hurting you just as much. I'm so sorry Rifana."

"Don't apologize," said the weasel girl as she covered his hand with hers, "Just tell me, no hypotheticals, no 'if's' or 'might's'. Just tell me, would you really leave this world if you were given the choice?"

"I'd never willingly walk away from the best damn thing that's ever happened to me in my life," Darius said without a single stutter despite the tears in his eyes, "My family is the only worthwhile thing waiting for me back in my world. I spent my time there like so many others trying to escape the reality of a practical police state and now that I'm here in another world, I honestly don't want to go back ever again. I've felt more alive these past few months meeting and traveling with all of you than I have in years and that is all the reason I need to keep fighting. More than anything, I want to protect my friends and loved ones."

"Then you really mean," said Rifana with a hopeful smile.

"Yes," Darius replied with a smile of his own, "I love you and I want to have an actual relationship with you too."

"Don't forget about me," said Figneria as she knelt down and grabbed hold of Darius's hand, "Rifana's not the only one who wishes to make this a happy relationship."

"I suppose we did agree the other night," said Rifana with a sigh before turning back to the Armory Hero, "do you think you can handle that?"

"Only as long as you're still happy with it," replied Darius. The weasel girl smiled and nodded before moving in to deliver a passionate kiss.

"Just remember who confessed first," she said with a playful smile, noting in the distance that a certain raccoon girl was also hugging her own hero. 'Best friends really do think alike sometimes.'

"How could I forget," said Darius, "Now we'd best get moving. You do still want to see our new home, right?" Rifana nodded happily as the group ran towards the large main building in the currently under construction village. And at the top of the building's flag pole flew two flags, one for the Shield Hero and one for the Armory Hero. It was a new beginning for all of them as they prepared to face the future struggles of the waves and their own world.

**Holy shit this got emotional, which I suppose is understandable given that this is the last chapter of this story for a little while. But let me say upfront now to avoid any possible panic, this story IS NOT OVER! No much like my soon to be resuming Re:Zero story, this one shall likely resume with the advent of the next two seasons of the anime (if anybody knows the dates of those, feel free to let me know). But, since this story has received so much support over the months I've been writing it, I've decided to do something I haven't done for my other stories. Starting soon, I shall be going back and uncensoring the first several chapters, so anyone who took issue with the censored cuss words can soon enjoy those chapters in all their fucking glory. So as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. And I hope you all enjoyed this late Christmas/early New Year's gift.**


	29. Side Story: Reflection & Reconstruction

**Side Story: Reflection and Reconstruction**

**Hello all, this little chapter is as much a surprise to you as it is to me. So a quick shout out to Monkeyman9835 for not only suggesting the idea for this chapter but for talking me into writing it. Now onto a little 'day in the life' chapter for everyone! **

Melromarc: Local Inn

'I'm the imitator,' thought Itsuki with more than a little frustration as he took a swig of some watered down ale, 'It's not my fault the revolutionaries tore up the country after we left. The people were begging for help and we helped them! What more were we supposed to do when there were other people who needed help too!' "Are you alright Sir Itsuki," Questioned his blue-haired party member, Rojeel, having noticed his foul mood, "you're usually celebrating along with us after completing an act of justice."

"Yes we did," said Itsuki, "I can't say why but for some reason, I keep hearing Rishia's words in my head."

"That girl was hardly in a position to judge you or us on heroics," replied his party member, "she was always running around on the battlefield getting in everyone's way. She's better off being gone if she couldn't realize the honor she had as a party member of the great Bow Hero."

"She ran around on the battlefield because everyone kept yelling different orders at her," said Itsuki, "And when it was time for class upgrades, I told her to pick a class that specialized more in front line combat."

"Advice which she ignored in favor of choosing a class that better specialized in magic," Rojeel said, "as your party it is our duty to guard you and insure you're capable of carrying out your heroic deeds. If she can't see the wisdom in that then what good was she?"

"Apparently good enough that the Queen offered her half of the reward she'd set aside for us," said Itsuki grumpily, "did she not see us fighting off the monsters or assaulting the main boss? Sure we got a little tripped up but all Rishia did was throw a bunch of barrels full of alcohol! And she's got the gall to say some copycat is better than me! But I'll show her, the Queen, everyone who the real hero is next time!"

"I hear Sir Ren received similar treatment," said his party member, "Apparently half of his reward was gifted to the Armory Hero's party member, Figneria I believe, and she accepted it without argument."

"What about Motoyasu?" Questioned Itsuki, "Was his reward given to Naofumi and his party then?"

"Apparently she let him keep the full reward," said his party member, "I heard some of it was subtracted, however, for medical treatment." Itsuki raised an eyebrow at that. What sort of medical treatment cost enough to subtract from a reward?

Melromarc Castle: The Medical Wing

'How is it this keeps happening to me,' thought Motoyasu as he walked somewhat awkwardly out of the royal clinic and down one of the castle's long hallways, 'I got hit in the crotch, again, and by a loli from another world, again!' In fact, due to multiple trips to this particular healer for the same repetitive injury he'd actually been asked to come by once a day for the next two weeks to get a checkup! It wouldn't have been so bad if the healer he was seeing was a beautiful older woman but no, he was being treated by some old guy. It didn't help matters that his own party members, now all wearing slave crests, basically had to tell him to his face these days how little they liked being around him.

Myne was the only one who still spoke to him in an encouraging manner, but she got shocked half the time meaning she wasn't being sincere. 'Damn Darius and Naofumi,' he fumed as he turned a corner, wincing as the newest plate of protective armor he'd acquired bumped against his junk, 'It was all going just fine when the both of you were out of the picture. But now that you're actually considered heroes again everything's gone wrong. The Queen and the people are giving all the credit to you guys for stopping the last wave, the girls in the kingdom don't want anything to do with me and my own party has to consist of slaves just so I can get by! How, how did it all go so wrong so fast?'

In the Grassy Fields near the Castle: At About the Same Time

"Dammit!" Seethed Ren as he cut down another monster, "how did they manage to solo Glass and that scythe guy?! How?!" The Sword Hero had been out venting for a fair amount of time now. He'd been keeping his temper in check the whole boat ride back from Cal Mira and even longer afterwards until he was finally able to send his party away. He'd been using his usual strategy of leveling up alone while his party leveled up in a different area, but even after a few days he still felt angry about what went down at Cal Mira.

'They made fools of the three of us, we were nothing but jokes to them,' he thought as he cut through another few monsters, 'what is it Naofumi and Darius are doing to get so strong? Naofumi said hard work and Darius insisted they're not cheating so what is it they're doing differently?!' He cut through the final monster before pausing to take a few deep breaths, his exhaustion finally catching up to him. 'Is it possible, our way of doing things won't cut it anymore,' he wondered as he looked to his sword. 'Well whatever the case, I will become strong. Stronger than either of them! So whatever you two are doing now you'd best enjoy it because I won't fail next time!'

Rifana and Raphtalia's Village: Currently under Construction

The newly acquired land of the Shield and Armory Hero, which once stood as nothing more than ruins, was bustling with activity as both civilians and a number of soldiers hurried from one building to another carrying numerous construction materials back and forth. The most structurally sound buildings were getting attention first while the buildings about to collapse were being cleared to insure they wouldn't become a hazard during the reconstruction process. Those who weren't working in construction were either assisting with the current day's haul of fish or being trained in fighting maneuvers under the watchful eye of Figneria and Rino, who were not going easy either. "You have to put your full weight into the swing!" Yelled Figneria as she corrected one of the villager's sloppy form, "a half-hearted blow will not end a fight against a determined opponent!"

"And remember not to overextend yourselves," said Rino as she paced around the back of the line, "Losing your balance in a fight can get you killed!" A chorus of 'yes mam!' was the response to this as they continued the latest drill. A short distance away from them, the Shield Hero himself was supervising the moving of materials from one of the larger buildings.

"Alright," said Naofumi, "remember to keep the materials separated and anything that can be reused should be set aside! And if you can't find anything to do here go and find someone who needs help." A number of acknowledgements came from in and around the building before the light of teleportation magic drew his attention.

"Okay everyone you know the drill," said the Armory Hero as he and Rifana appeared along with another group of soldiers, "start getting the weapons sorted by type and sent to the store houses. Set the more dangerous ones aside for us to transport to our other location. Now break!" The soldiers responded to the order as they moved off to a few store houses closer to the center of the village, carrying a number of weapons which had been gathered from the vault of the Gold Tyrant.

"About time you got back," said Naofumi, "Rino's about to organize another hunting party so they'll need those weapons. Did you manage to level up any while you were out?"

"We split time between leveling and gathering weapons," replied Darius, "figured we may as well given the hour cool down time of teleporting and the even longer amount of time it's taking to sort through that vault. The guy has enough down there to start an insurrection, which might've been what he was hoping for."

"Wouldn't surprise me given what you've been saying about that particular predecessor," Said Naofumi, "by the way, could you give that crew a hand over there Rifana? They're having trouble moving some of those timbers from that spot and Raphtalia's down at the beach directing the last of the fishing for the day."

"Where'd you send Johann and Filo," asked Rifana with an inquisitive look.

"Filo's pulling around large carts of rubble," said Naofumi as said Filolial came running through the village with a large cart filled with stone. "And Johann's flying trees over from the nearby forest after they're cut down."

"Well good to see they're both pulling their weight," Commented Darius.

"I guess that means I better get back to work too," said Rifana with a sigh as she headed over and started moving some of the heavier building materials with her brute strength. It honestly amazed the Armory Hero how strong she was some days despite having a slender frame.

"She really is something isn't she," Quipped Naofumi as he noted his fellow cardinal hero staring.

"Yeah, sorry I spaced out for a bit," said Darius as he and Naofumi began walking through the village to see where else they could help.

"So is it true then?" Questioned the Shield Hero, more as a way to make conversation than anything. "Are you and her?"

"Yep," replied Darius, feeling there was no point in hiding it, "and Figneria's part of the relationship too. But we've agreed to keep the PDA to a minimum."

"I appreciate it," said Naofumi, "we don't need a bunch of jealous workers watching you guys feeling each other up."

"We aren't doing it for the workers," corrected Darius, getting a confused look from Naofumi. At about the same time, a trio of both the Shield and Armory Hero's party members was on a walk of their own.

"So what do you think of the village so far?" Raphtalia asked Rishia. She'd bumped into the girl who was currently on a break from her studies after finishing up down at the beach.

"Well there are a lot of demands, so there's plenty of work that has to be done," replied Rishia, who now had a silver circlet around her head denoting her status as a princess, "but everyone here is so nice and willing to show their appreciation, so I actually feel motivated to do my best."

"Yes, Sir Darius and Naofumi both believe in a hospitable environment for their parties," added Figneria, "I've no doubt that's their eventual goal for this village as well, even if it is going to double as a war camp. It's one of the reasons I was able to convince your parents to let me bring you here."

"Well I also know you're happier when you're close to Sir Darius," said Rishia, "so it works out for everyone."

"Not quite everyone," said Figneria as she noted Raphtalia had suddenly started pouting at the mention of her and Darius's relationship, "what seems to be the matter lady Raphtalia?"

"Oh, you don't have to call me that," she said as she was snapped out of her thoughts, "Just Raphtalia is fine. And I guess, I don't know, I feel like I'm a little behind."

"In regards to what?" Asked Figneria, genuinely curious what could be on her mind with so much already going on?

"It's just," Raphtalia sighed as she decided it was best to simply come out and say it, "I'm a little jealous of Rifana, and you as well. Rifana actually confessed her love for Darius and he answered her back saying he loved her too. I'm not as surprised that you managed to tell him you loved him, being a seasoned warrior and all, but Rifana and I were both nervous about it for a long time and now she-."

"I haven't told him," said Figneria, catching the raccoon girl off-guard, "I have shown with my actions that he has my heart, but I haven't said the words."

"But you and him have, um, well," Raphtalia and Rishia both started blushing at the topic which was being brought up, "gotten intimate too."

"On more than one occasion," said Figneria with a small smile, "but each time was for a different reason and I couldn't bring myself to say the words. I'm more grateful to Rifana than she will ever know for allowing me to share in her happiness, but it is not a simple thing for one to confess their true feelings. In this regard you have actually surpassed me."

"I have?" Questioned Raphtalia with a confused tilt of her head, wondering what she could've done better than the warrior maiden she was talking too.

"We heard from Filo about your loving embrace with the Shield Hero," said Rishia, "and Rifana told us that you didn't say the words but you did beg him to stay here."

"Yes, I did," said Raphtalia with a sad smile at the one of her more treasured memories. She'd been so close to saying it that day, then Filo and Melty and the others had to interrupt. "But now that we're busy rebuilding the village and training people to fish and fight and collect weapons there's hardly been a quiet moment."

"A quiet moment is as much something you make the time for as find the time for," said Figneria, "as I once explained to Darius and Rifana, none of us know what tomorrow will bring. Now optimistically none of us will die, but there's still the chance of us being separated, injured, forced apart or, the powers forbid, another woman moves in on the one you love."

"What!" exclaimed Raphtalia, "I don't want that! I mean I want Master Naofumi to be happy but I'd also like to be the one who's making him happy. I know it's selfish but I want to be with him."

"Then find ways to get him alone," said Figneria, "start inviting him to a private dinner or lunch every now and then, or go to him when he seems more stressed than usual. And don't think you have to wait for the atmosphere to become romantic before you start confessing your feelings, or you might be waiting for a long time. Rifana confessed her love to Darius on the hill top overlooking the village while he was in the midst of explaining its benefits. She hadn't planned at all on telling him then, but her pent up feelings led her to create the moment both of them will remember for the rest of their lives."

"I, think I understand," said Raphtalia, "I guess after being with him long enough I just came to accept that he would notice on his own time. But you're right, I've already told him that I want him to stay, now I have to find a way to tell him how I feel about him." Both girls nodded encouragingly as they continued their walk through the village while, at the same time, a similar conversation was taking place between the two heroes.

"You and Rifana, and occasionally Figneria, don't do a lot of PDA for Raphtalia's sake," said Naofumi with a note of skepticism in his voice.

"That's right," affirmed Darius, "Rifana doesn't like seeing her friend unhappy and she knows reminding her that she's got a boyfriend now will make her just the slightest bit depressed."

"But she's got little reason to be unhappy," said Naofumi, "I agreed to keep fighting for this world and she agreed to keep being my sword. We're both prepared to face whatever comes together."

"Together yes," said Darius before making air quotes, "but not 'together' in quite the way she wants to be. Honestly it's getting painful to watch you two dance around the issue."

"Well she hasn't flat out said that she likes me in that way," Naofumi pointed out.

"No, but her actions, mannerisms, the way she responds to you and how her mood shifts when you're around should be more than enough evidence," said Darius, "Just about everyone else in our parties, save for Filo, can tell she's got quite the thing for you."

"Are you sure you're not just misinterpreting her actions?" Asked Naofumi with his usual skepticism. Fortunately for them both, Johann just happened to be walking by on a little break of his own.

"Okay, don't believe me then watch this," said Darius as he called out to his party member, "Hey Johann! Is it possible that Raphtalia likes Naofumi?!"

"What are you kidding me?" Johann called back, "she's been digging on him for ages now! Even if I couldn't occasionally smell her getting riled up watching him it's still obvious because she's always looking at him, never says anything bad about him and gets worried sick if he takes so much as a scratch. Come to think of it, why haven't you gone and mated with her already Shield Guy she clearly wants to ride you until-!"

"Okay, yes, that's good enough right there," said Darius, hoping no one else had heard the dragon boy's increasingly loud voice. "I think you got the point across now head on to whatever it was you were doing."

"I was about to get food," said Johann as he started walking off, "so you guys had best hurry up and start cooking soon."

"Jeez I wonder about him some days," Said Darius, "but I hope you see what I'm getting at now. It's not exactly a secret that she's got at least a few feelings for you."

"Alright, say it's as deep as all that," said Naofumi, "say she actually has time to spare from her mission making this world one where people don't suffer like she, Rifana and her friends did. What exactly should I do about it?"

"How should I-, wait a second," Darius replied as a sudden thought occurred to him, "why not try testing it out yourself."

"Testing it out?" Naofumi repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's think about this for a moment," said Darius with a finger raised up, "What's one thing a girl would let you do if she likes you that she wouldn't let anyone else do?"

"Let you in her room?" Guessed Naofumi, "Though we've spent plenty of time in the same room already."

"I'm talking about physical contact here," clarified the Armory Hero, "specifically a certain point of physical contact."

"What point of contact would that be?" Asked a slightly uneasy Shield Hero.

"Why her fine ass of course," answered Darius as he made the shape of said body part in the air with his hands.

"You want me to grope her!" exclaimed Naofumi with an understandable amount of shock and irritation.

"Just hear me out for a moment," said the cardinal hero, urging his friend not to raise his voice, "we're under the very likely assumption, *cough* fact *cough*, that she likes you. Ergo, should you lay a hand on her shapely behind you should receive a wagging raccoon tail in return."

"Or, she instantly loses a large amount of respect for me because I'd be disrespecting her by groping her without permission," countered Naofumi, "In which case, I'd probably get slapped."

"Well it'd be your fault if you didn't ask first in that scenario," Darius countered back, "Tell you what, let's make a bet out of it. If she does become offended by you rubbing her raccoon rump, I'll take the beating for you because it was my idea in the first place and I'll do whatever chores you need done in your new house for a whole day. But, if I'm right and she doesn't want to put a beat down on you for touching her tanuki tushie then you give me and my party the rest of the evening off after I make one last delivery to the underwater temple. Oh, and it can't be a simple brush of the hand or a light tap that you can play off as an accident, it has be full on grab ass for more than five seconds."

"First off, stop it with the ass rubbing puns. And second, how are you gonna keep me from weaseling out of this little bet?" Questioned Naofumi, "I could just go off somewhere for a bit and come back later telling you she whacked me."

"Because as luck would have it, your special girl is right over there," Darius pointed out as Raphtalia came walking around the corner with Rishia and Figneria. "So no time to think just get on out there!" Before Naofumi could protest further, a portal opened behind him as a staff jutted out and sent him stumbling forward, right into said raccoon girl's path.

"Oh, Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia with a hint of surprise, "is everything alright?"

"Well," said Naofumi as he rubbed his head and shot an irritated glance at Darius who simply mouthed 'get the booty' while squeezing his hand in the air. "I probably just got talked into doing something severely stupid. But, it's also pretty safe to say that I'll win this one so, sorry in advance." He then proceeded to move to the side while reaching out and gripping Raphtalia's fine firm rear.

To say the demi-human girl was caught off-guard was an understatement as she didn't seem to comprehend what was happening first. Once it registered, however, she turned several shades of red as she began trembling in what might've been panic. "M-Master Naofumi," said Raphtalia, "Are y-you really touching me t-there? In front of everyone?"

"Yeah and I know it's stupid so-WHOA!" The Shield Hero didn't quite get the chance to finish his sentence as Raphtalia suddenly grabbed him by his collar and yanked him around until he hit the wall of a nearby building. 'Well crap I guess it's time to go get my ass whooped,' thought the Armory Hero in resignation as he stepped forward. But as he did, he noticed something odd.

Raphtalia was still trembling as she held Naofumi against the wall and she was definitely still blushing, but she wasn't beating the ever living out of him. "I…I have a….question for you….M-Master Naofumi," she said, "Would you….l-like to…have lunch with me….t-tomorrow?"

"Uh," Apparently Raphtalia's brain wasn't the only one short-circuting as Naofumi was struggling to comprehend what she just said. Was she asking him out? What was going on? "Yeah, s-sure," he finally said, "why not, sounds great."

"YOU WILL!" Raphtalia exclaimed before recomposing herself and finally letting Naofumi go, "I mean, thank you for setting some time aside for me. I'd best be going, but I'll see you at the house." The raccoon girl then hurried away, still blushing feverishly but still looking happy despite it.

"What on earth just happened here?" Questioned Figneria as Rishia tilted her head in absolute confusion.

"What just happened is you, Rifana and Johann now have the rest of the evening off," said Darius as he walked up to the two girls, "and Naofumi owes me one."

"It was still a dick move Darius!" Said the Shield Hero as he finally regained his composure.

"But a bet is a bet isn't it," replied the Armory Hero, "and you're welcome by the way." Naofumi simply grumbled out a response about how he'd get him back for it before walking off.

"Well that was quite something," said Figneria, "It's very rare to see Sir Shield Hero flustered like that."

"The guy needs some help being happy is all," said Darius, "anyway, I told him I'd do one more delivery of weapons to the water temple before taking the rest of the evening off. So let's grab a bite first before I head out."

Water Temple: Dragon's Hourglass Chamber

"It is a lot better in here now that we can actually see," said Rifana as her and Darius teleported into the chamber. One of the first new features they'd added were some luminescent bio-plants that glowed in the dark, bathing the chamber in an ambient blue light. It still made reading a bit difficult, but it was enough for finding their way around the other hallways to store the weapons they had.

"You know you didn't have to come along," said Darius as he summoned a pile of swords on a newly erected weapon's rack, "I got the three of you the rest of the evening off so you could relax a little."

"And while I appreciate it, I'm not gonna let you just sit around in an underwater chamber bored out of your mind for a half hour," said Rifana as she set down a couple of large crates filled with daggers and armor. "Not to mention, it only takes a third of the time to sort stuff out when I'm helping you, so it's hardly a big deal."

"Fair enough I guess," admitted Darius as he conjured some halberds which he leaned against a depression in the wall. In truth, the loads all varied in size and the amount of time it took to sort through them. This one was looking to be one of the easier ones to organize as it only had about three different types of weapons to separate and store. In fact, now that they had something of an established system going with sorting and storage it only took them about twenty minutes to get the latest load squared away.

"Ah, finally a moment to relax a bit," said Rifana as she collapsed down on one of the sleeping mats they'd set up during their second visit to the temple. They were supposed to be for emergencies when it became necessary to hide out in the temple, but Darius didn't have the heart to remind his partner of this fact. Especially not when she looked so cute stretched out on the mat as she let out a small yawn.

"It has been a busy few days," admitted Darius as he kneeled down and began massaging the weasel girl's tense shoulder, "We're rebuilding a village, restarting its economy and basically preparing for war all at the same time. Even with help from the Queen and all our other friends it's a pretty big task."

"Which reminds me," said Rifana, "It's my turn to sleep in the bed with you tonight, and keep going that feels good."

"You're a lot more tense than you should be right now," noted Darius as he moved to her other shoulder, "is something on your mind?"

"I guess it's just, I'm worried that I might not be a good enough teacher," admitted Rifana, "Raphtalia's just more patient than I am and some of the people I'm teaching, I'm not even sure they've sailed in the ocean befor-KYAA!" The Armory Hero moved his hand away from Rifana's neck, wondering what the sudden reaction had been about. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Sorry," said Darius, "guess I hit something of a sensitive spot there-."

"I know that," said Rifana, "I mean why are you stopping? I was enjoying the massage."

"Oh," said Darius as he resumed rubbing her shoulders, "I thought I hit a pressure point or something."

"I told you earlier that this feels good," said Rifana as she laid her head down on her arms, "Come to think of it. Since we've got more than thirty minutes to wait for your teleport to recharge, would you care to give a girl a full body massage?"

"I suppose I could if you think it'll help," said Darius, "but you should know I've never tried applying one before."

"And I've never taught anyone to fish until recently," said Rifana, "maybe we'll both surprise ourselves."

"Here goes nothing then I guess," said Darius as he cracked his fingers before getting back to work on his partner's tense muscles. Whether or not he was doing an actually good massage was up for debate, but the longer he worked at it the more sensitive spots he discovered. And the more Rifana's clearly pleased moaning filled the chamber before the weasel girl finally decided she'd had enough. Waiting that is.

"Oh screw it, come here!" Exclaimed Rifana as she yanked her boyfriend down to the ground with her. It would be a little more than thirty minutes before the two of them returned to the village. The good news at least, was that Rifana wasn't as worried about tomorrow's task.

New Residence of the Armory Hero's Party

While the rebuilding and organization of the entire village would indeed take a lot of time, there had also been substantial progress made in certain areas from the center outward. One of these was housing for both heroes and their party members. In Naofumi's case it was more or less expected that as the newly elected lord, or Count depending on who you asked, he would need a proper residence to help run the affairs of the village. In Darius's case, he'd tried turning it down saying that the party would be fine camping in their own tent or a wagon until a suitable number of houses had been built to accommodate everyone. 'Tried' being the key word as Melty, a number of the new village residents and even the Queen herself had insisted it was part of the reward she'd granted them.

Which is how he wound up with a four bedroom house that included a main room which doubled as both living space and a kitchen with the cooking section on one side and a fire place on the other. Each party member had their own room which left one guest room for when Figneria stayed over. Being an envoy and the watcher of the newly crowned Princess Rishia meant she spent a lot of time going back and forth from the village to the royal castle in Melromarc and, when necessary, all the way back to Koteraan via teleport on some days. Tonight, though, was one of the night's she'd be sleeping over as she opened the door and walked in to find said hero and his party members all absorbed in their own tasks.

Darius was currently on the couch browsing through his menu, checking to see if there was anything he could enhance or get repaired while Rifana was busy tying and untying a fishing line in preparation for teaching. Johann, was stuffing his face with some extra food he managed to make off with from the village's recently rebuilt dining hall. "I see even now the demands of the world seem to be keeping you all occupied," noted Figneria as she took a seat on one of the chairs in the living area.

"Not me," said Johann between bites, "I've always got time to chow down on something else!"

"I suppose flying timber back and forth does build up an appetite," said Rifana as she put her newly tied line down for a moment, "so how are your responsibilities going?"

"I've already got the training routine set up for tomorrow," said Figneria, "but I'll have a little extra time in the morning as the group I'm training will be heading out on a hunting expedition."

"Makes me glad I got you off a little early this evening," said Darius as he closed his menu, "hope you're enjoying the time to yourself while it lasts because Naofumi's probably gonna hit us with an extra load tomorrow to get back at me."

"I still don't get what his deal is," said Johann as he finished consuming his meal, "from what you guys told me Raphtalia practically confessed when she was begging him to stay here, so he should be grateful you're helping out."

"Well I did kind of embarrass him to do it though" replied the Armory Hero as he leaned back on the couch, "So the gears are probably grinding in his head as we speak."

"But shouldn't he be doing that stuff to Raphtalia anyway," said Johann, "I mean you three get up to plenty of stuff like that whenever you get the chance."

"I'm not sure I'd say 'whenever'," Rifana chimed in, "we do have some restraint."

"You and Darius came back late and he had a, what did Naofumi call it, a hicky on his neck," said Johann as he pointed to the still fresh mark.

"I mean yeah we did do it in the temple and, wait a minute you're not old enough to be discussing this with us!" Exclaimed Rifana.

"I know mating when I see it," said Johann as he hopped up and headed for his room, "anyway, it's getting late and I need to turn in. So wake me up when you need some heavy lifting done."

"I'll wake you up when I need the fire relit, how about that," quipped Darius.

"Yeah yeah I can do both," said Johann as he went to his room and closed the door. If his hunch was right, Johann would be asleep in less than a minute.

"I'm glad he's learning to put himself to bed these days," said Rifana as she also stood up, "anyway, I need to get a little bit of reading in about the fish prices before the morning, so I'll be turning in too." She leaned down and quickly pecked Darius on the lips before heading to her room, "See you in bed, my hero."

"I'll be along soon enough, don't worry," Darius called back as she closed the door behind her.

"It really is nice to see you two like this," said Figneria as she sat down on the couch next to Darius, "but you know, Rifana isn't the only one who needs attention."

"What did you have in mind?" Asked the Armory Hero. Figneria's response was to lay herself across the couch with her back facing up.

"I happened to overhear something about a full body massage," said Figneria, "and being an envoy, trainer and guard is a stressful occupation some days."

"We do owe you one for helping train the village guards," said Darius as he placed his hands on her back, "so why don't we call this a reward." As he did with Rifana, he began with her back and proceeded to massage much of her surprisingly tense muscles. "I guess this is also as good a time as any to ask. Rifana's told me all of her reasons for loving me, but what is it you see in me?"

"That's a bit of a complicated questi-AH!" Figneria gasped out as the cardinal hero had somehow found one of her sensitive spots. "I guess it all started when you…I mean…when." She was finding it surprisingly difficult to speak in a coherent sentence as Darius kept finding just the right spot, on accident, to massage and elicit another gasp from the mercenary woman. It became so difficult questioning her that Darius finally stopped the massage altogether. "Why are you stopping?"

"It's just gonna be impossible to have a conversation while you're, enjoying this," surmised the Armory Hero, "maybe we should do questions first and then get back to the massage."

"But I'll tense back up by then," Figneria actually whined, "you wouldn't leave a woman disappointed like that would you?"

"Will you tell me everything if I do give you the full treatment?" Darius countered.

"Only so long as you keep up the quality of the massage," said Figneria as she laid back down on the couch, "Now please, resume." The cardinal hero complied as he felt a sense of déjà vu when comparing Rifana and Figneria's reactions. While Rifana had shown some restraint, the presence of no one but them in the temple meant she was free to make all the noise she wanted. But in Figneria's case, she was attempting not to wake up Johann or disturb Rifana and, if Darius wasn't mistaken, it's possible she was a little embarrassed that she couldn't keep herself under control.

Eventually, though, her muscles relaxed and she laid her head on the couch as her breathing became much more peaceful. When she didn't make any other noise for a solid minute, Darius finally stopped his massage and noted that despite all of the apparent stimulation, she'd somehow fallen asleep! "Good talk I guess," said the Armory Hero as he decided to simply pull a blanket over her and kissed the top of her head, "we can pick up the conversation in the morning. You clearly need the rest right now."

Village Bathhouse: A Short Time Later

"I guess we're all stressed lately," Darius mused aloud as he sat back in the wooden bath and stared at the ceiling. He'd originally planned to get a bath with his party earlier, but had been drawn away to have a quick discussion with the old magic shop lady about having a few more crystal balls delivered. It wound up lasting several minutes and by that time, Johann had already come running out with Rifana not far behind. So now here he was in the mostly deserted bathhouse making sure he at least smelled decent for his demi-human girlfriend and her sensitive nose, not that she actually cared if he smelled a little bad but it was the principle of the thing. A good relationship required at least some effort from all individuals involved.

The sound of someone else entering the bath caused Darius's eyes to open as none other than Figneria pulled herself into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I thought you'd fallen asleep," said the mildly surprised Armory Hero.

"To my embarrassment I did indeed doze off," said Figneria with a small smile and, an actual blush, "It's rare that I feel that relaxed even at the best of times. But I seem to recall promising to tell you what it is I like about you. And I decided I needed a bath."

"Fair enough," said Darius as he held up his right arm so that his band was in full view, "So what is it you see in me? Pretty much everything special about me got clamped on my wrist when I got dropped into this world."

"You never seem to think very highly of yourself," noted Figneria, "humility is a good quality but I would've thought by now you'd have at least a few things about yourself you take pride in."

"You probably wouldn't say that if you met me before I got these bands," said Darius, "I was a shut in back where I come from. I worked and studied when I had too and then spent all of my free time reading comics, manga, playing games and generally trying to escape reality. I didn't get out much unless I needed too and it's possible that even if there were no drones watching us in my world that's still what I'd be doing. In comparison to someone like you I'm actually quite a boring person."

Figneria sighed at that as she pressed herself a little closer to him, grabbing his chin to make sure she had his attention. "You think me being a skilled mercenary makes me that much more interesting than you?"

"I mean doesn't it?" Questioned Darius, not sure where she was going with this.

"I've told you a bit about my life, how I grew up learning to fight on the battlefield and continued doing so as a mercenary," said Figneria, "but if you take all of that away, all of my skills and status as a warrior you'll find a woman who until recently had trouble even conversing with other people."

"But you didn't seem to have trouble while you were training me and Rifana," noted Darius.

"That's because I'd learned how to teach people," said Figneria, "but I had to spend two years learning how to interact with those who aren't fighters or commanders or war-like in anyway. You see after so many years fighting the thrill from the battlefield was beginning to fade for me. So I decided a change was in order and took up my position at Reichnott's mansion. It was there I learned how little I knew about living a quiet life and that fighting wasn't the only way to survive. I discovered that despite my years of training there was so much outside of it I didn't know. So you see I myself am a rather dull person once you remove me from the battlefield."

"I guess I can understand the reasoning behind that," admitted Darius.

"And even if it wasn't your choice to receive this power," said Figneria as she touched the band on his wrist, "it was still you who nurtured it, refined it and improved upon it, building it up to what it is now. Your hard work is what's allowed you to become such a powerful hero and I believe that speaks more about you than you realize. You see I've witnessed others climb up the ranks trying to fight against oppression, only to become the very thing they sought to end. It's become my belief that the real measure of a person is revealed when you hand them power. And while you've made mistakes your intentions with your power have always been clear. You use it to help people."

"So, uh, when did you start liking me as more than just a student?" Darius decided to ask.

"Ever since our lesson in Koteraan, no, maybe even before that," said Figneria, "being a part of your group and watching you and Rifana grow closer made me realize what I'd really been looking for when I set out from Reichnott's mansion. I enjoyed seeing you both happy, and I wanted to reward you for not only helping me free Koteraan but also for saving my life against the Leshen. You helped me realize my true calling in this world, that I could use my skills to save others and make a positive difference beyond simple survival. I love you Darius Saxon because of all the people I've fought beside, you are the one who makes me feel most like I belong right where I am."

She ended this sentence with a passionate kiss, which Darius quickly returned as he ran his hands over her curvaceous body. It wouldn't be until almost an hour later that they ventured back to their private residence. Rifana had dozed off by this point as Figneria went on to the guest room after giving her lover one more good night kiss. Darius was careful not to wake his sleeping companion as he crawled into the bed next to her. Though it turned out to be in vain.

"So did you enjoy your bath," whispered Rifana, almost making the Armory Hero jump.

"I did," said Darius, "sorry I didn't make it in earlier with you."

"You don't have to apologize," said Rifana as she snuggled up against him, "I did have quite the time with you in the temple beforehand. And while it's still a little weird, I can tell Figneria is even happier now."

"She officially told me she loved me," confirmed Darius as he lightly stroked the weasel girl's cheek, "are you sure you're still okay with things being like this?"

"The three of us all shared an intimate moment," said Rifana as she lightly gripped her boyfriend's hand, "and I have her to thank for pushing us to give things a try in the first place. True, things between us would probably have ended up like they are now in time anyway, but I still believe she deserves some happiness in exchange for making us as happy as we are now."

"And it's that kind of understanding nature which makes me realize how much I don't deserve either of you," said Darius. "I mean any guy would be beyond lucky to win the heart of either one of you, and yet you both settled for me."

"We didn't settle for anything," said Rifana somewhat sternly as she took his face in her hands, "You've fought and risked your life for the both of us and proven your feelings for us a hundred times over. We're happy to both be in a relationship with you because power or no power you are still our hero. And we'll love you always." Darius couldn't help but smile at her heartfelt words as the two shared a good night kiss of their own before drifting off to sleep in each other's arms.

The atmosphere around the three of them was even more cheerful the next day as they went about their work. Though the one thing that did sour it was Johann blurting out this simple comment at breakfast in the town hall: "Nice going on making booby assassin lady your second mate!" He received three bumps on his head afterwards.

**And that about wraps up our little side story, so I hope you all enjoyed this unexpected surprise as part of the new year! And as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. What comes next time, even I'm not sure.**


	30. Side Story: Inter-species Cooperation

**Side Story: Inter-species Cooperation**

**Hello again everyone, here we are at another surprising chapter post. The main idea for this chapter came from a guest reviewer, though I've scaled it back a bit to make this short but hopefully cutesy chapter we have now, so let's get to reading!**

Rurorona Village: Morning Time

It was another day in the currently under construction village as the parties of the Shield and Armory Heroes rose yet again to what had quickly become a familiar routine of eat, work, level grind, work some more then sleep. Currently, everyone was in the main village hall eating a fair serving of food that had been acquired by the hunting parties or brought in from the market. At least, that's what everyone had been attempting before another semi-routine situation occurred. "GET BACK HERE YOU THIEVING BIRD!" Yelled Johann as he chased Filo around the many tables set up in the hall.

"Oh it is too early in the morning for this," groaned Darius as he rubbed his temple, voicing the thoughts of the rest of his and the Shield Hero's party as they sat at the table the two mounts were currently circling around. Figneria was currently absent as she had taken her latest report back to Koteraan. Darius would be heading there himself and teleporting her back later.

"What in the world set them off this time?" Questioned Naofumi as he removed the apron he'd been wearing and sat at the table with the rest of them. They tended to rotate who was cooking each day, but all of the villagers had unanimously agreed that the days when the Shield Hero cooked were the best. Though Darius was sure it more than helped that he used his shield's cooking skill to enhance the ingredients and flavor.

"Oh same old same old," remarked Rifana as she took a bite of her own meal, "We ran out of some of the pastries and Filo managed to grab the last one that Johann was going for."

"It still surprises me they have so much energy this early in the morning," said Rishia, who was currently wearing one of the penguin suits they'd gotten from Cal Mira with the hood pulled back so she could eat, "They seem like they could do this for hours."

"If we don't put a stop to it that's exactly what's gonna happen," said an annoyed Naofumi as Johann, getting tired of going in circles, hopped up and off the center of the table in an attempt to swipe the little pastry out of Filo's hand. But the little Filolial was too fast for him, moving her hand out of the way before rushing out of the door with the dragon boy close behind her.

"We should probably go after them before they get into too much trouble," observed Raphtalia with a hint of concern. The sound of something crashing outside told them they were already too late.

"And that's our cue," said Darius as the two parties got up from their positions and quickly made their way out of the village hall to see that both mounts had transformed and knocked over one of the carts carrying rubble.

"You spit it out!" Yelled Johann as he snapped at the large bird who was managing to dodge out of the way so far.

"Sorry, Filo already ate it," she replied as she leap-frogged over an especially ferocious bite from her dragon counterpart.

"Oh for the love of, Darius could you please separate these two," Naofumi groaned.

"Yeah I got it," replied the Armory Hero as he summoned several chains from the ground to hold down Johann's head and neck while also grabbing Filo's legs to keep her from running off. "Alright, enough is enough you two!"

"Aw come on Boss I was just-," Johann started to protest before Rifana cut in.

"Making a mess again," said the weasel girl, "only this time you two managed to damage one of the carts. Did we not make it absolutely clear that you can't just go chasing each other through the village?!"

"Well, uh, yeah," said Johann, "I guess you did anyway."

"They did so," said the Filolial with a smug expression on her bird face, "Even Filo remembers Master and Darius saying so."

"Don't act like you're not in trouble too Filo," said Raphtalia with her arms crossed.

"She's right," said Naofumi, "It's ridiculous that you two don't know how to share at this point and we have too many responsibilities now to break up every little dispute you get into. From this point on it'll be better for everyone if you start working at least a few things out yourselves without us mediating everything."

"But Master it wasn't my-," Filo tried to protest before Naofumi cut her off.

"I don't care who started it," he said, "you both made a mess and now you're gonna clean it up. After that, we'll have a little project you both need to work on, so get to it." The two mounts frowned at this but nodded as Darius released them.

"Come find us when you're done picking up the rocks here," said the Armory Hero as he and the rest of the party turned and headed back into the village hall to organize the tasks for the day. But Darius did have one question for his fellow cardinal hero before they got to that. "So what did you have in mind for their little bonding project?"

"I, actually hadn't thought that far ahead," admitted Naofumi, "we just need to think of something they can do together that doesn't involve them transforming."

"I might have an idea for that," said Rifana as she rummaged around in her armor and pulled out a strange plant with white flowers sporting purple markings. "You've been looking for some of these around the village right?" Darius nodded as his girlfriend began explaining her little plan.

Near the Outskirts of the Village: A Short Time Later

"Alright," said Naofumi as he, Darius and the rest of their parties stood in front of Johann and Filo, "I've been told that currently we have enough wood gathered from the forest that Johann won't need to fly any over for a bit. I've also gotten confirmation that the ones clearing the rubble will be able to handle it without you for a bit, Filo. So for the next couple of hours we'll need you two to head out into this part of the woods and collect some of these." The Shield Hero pulled out the plant Rifana had shown them earlier and handed one to each of the mounts.

"Hey, I've seen the Boss working with some of this stuff," said Johann as he sniffed it for a moment before turning his head in disgust, "Ah, why does it smell so bad."

"It's poisonous," explained Darius causing Filo to pause as she was about to lick it, "I've got a little concoction I've been working on that requires these plants. So collect as many as you can and keep them in this basket." The Armory Hero set down a somewhat large wicker basket with a lid on it.

"But wouldn't it be better if we both had a basket," questioned Filo with a tilt of her head, "Master is always saying we need to be iffy…effy…effin'?"

"Efficient," Raphtalia said, "and normally that'd be the case but this is also to teach you both something important. You'll need to take turns carrying the basket while the other picks the plants and places them inside."

"Ah do we have too," groaned Johann with a look of utter annoyance.

"Yes," Rifana shot back, "We know you two can work together when the situation demands it but you both need to learn to work things out on your own as well. If you were an ordinary dragon and Filolial we'd be able to forgive your behavior but neither of you are, which means you need to learn not to solve all of your disputes by simply acting on instinct."

"Fine," said Johann as he picked up the basket, "Let's get this over with chicken liv-."

"Ahem!" Darius cleared his throat, "You'll also be keeping the name calling to a minimum. Same goes for you Filo."

"Oh okay," pouted the Filolial Queen candidate as she and Johann began walking off towards the woods.

"Are we sure this is really a good idea Master Naofumi?" Questioned Raphtalia, "I know they need to learn to behave better, but is sending them both out on their own the best way to do it?"

"We can't keep an eye on the two of them every minute of every day, especially now," said Naofumi, "I don't know if sending them out by their selves is the best idea, but they need to learn to cooperate outside of combat somehow."

"I'm still keeping my water magic staff handy just in case," said Darius as he summoned said mage's staff, "anyway we'd best get moving as well. Still plenty to do to get this place running smoothly."

The Woods outside the Village: Some Time Later

"I said I got it," repeated Johann for, what seemed to him, the hundredth time now, "You just keep picking the flowers and I'll keep carrying the basket."

"But big sis Raphtalia said we needed to switch up every now and then," said Filo with her hands on her hips, "and I don't want to make her or Master upset because you were being a lazy dragon."

"Who you calling lazy," said Johann with a raised eyebrow, "I've been carrying this thing around the whole time trying to keep up with a certain someone that keeps missing large patches of the flowers because she keeps getting sidetracked trying to eat whatever wild berries we come across. The only reason you're still on task is because of me."

"Filo could do this job fine without you," said the Filolial dismissively, "I'll bet the real reason you're not picking the flowers is because you'd have too hard a time finding them."

"What was that?" Said Johann through gritted teeth which showed off his fangs.

"Filo is having fun because she knows we don't have to be in a hurry," she continued, "but if a dunderheaded dragon like you were looking for the flowers, you'd be lost in no time." Johann wanted to say a whole lot to that, but instead decided on a different course of action.

"Don't drop this and stay out of my way," ordered the dragon boy as he shoved the basket into Filo's hands before crouching down onto the ground like a dog. It took him only a minute to pick up a trail before he raced off in that direction, followed by a somewhat frantic Filo. The next several minutes of their search consisted of Johann finding a patch of flowers that he more or less dug up, as opposed to picking, before tossing them at Filo. The bird girl often had to move quickly in one direction then another to catch the falling plants that were tossed her way while also getting showered with dirt. By the time they'd filled the basket, Filo was covered in a fair bit of soil and flower petals.

"There we go, job well done," said Johann as he brushed his hands off, "so what do you got to say about that Filolial?"

"You stupid lizard," exclaimed Filo as she sat the basket down roughly, "you didn't have to throw them at me. Now my nice outfit is filthy!"

"Consider that payback for stealing my pastry at breakfast this morning," said Johann as he put his hands behind his head, "assuming you can even remember this morning with that short Filolial memory of yours."

"It's not my fault you weren't quick enough," said Filo, "and besides there was plenty of other stuff to eat. If you weren't so greedy then we all could've enjoyed a nice breakfast without breaking anything!"

"What did you expect?" Said Johann as he pointed at himself, "I'm a dragon, greed is in my nature. If I'd been hatched like any other dragon emperor I'd be scouring the land for whatever riches I could find. And it's not like you made the situation any better by doing your usual 'stupid dragon' routine."

"Because you are," said Filo with a stomp of her foot, "all dragons are mean and nasty and they're always trying to take territory from us Filolials."

"Do you even have a territory for me to take," Johann pointed out, "You've spent all your time traveling around with Shield Guy while I've been traveling around with the Boss. Now we both have our own houses to sleep in, a whole village to run around and we get fed every day. So excuse me for thinking it was too much for me to ask to have at least a bite or two of some yummy pastry."

"It's not like they won't make or bring in more," said Filo, "If you didn't have such a lousy temper all the time we'd probably get along just fine."

"My temper is only this bad with you, and why shouldn't it be?!" Exclaimed Johann, "You mock me whenever you see an opportunity and when that doesn't work you try your best to prove that you're better than me. Even if you weren't a Filolial I'd still get pissed off about stuff like that!"

"I have to prove I'm better!" Filo almost yelled as she waved her arms in the air, "If I don't then Master may get himself a dragon and then what'll I do?!"

"Wait," said Johann, "you really think Shield Guy would just up and get a dragon like that?"

"I've heard him talking to Darius sometimes," said Filo as she deflated a little, "he always says your flying ability is so useful and that it's handy to have around. You can also breathe fire and shoot lightning. Filo wanted to spit acid but the class upgrade thingy wouldn't let me, so now I'm stuck shooting tornadoes."

"You know tornadoes are like my number one no fly thing right?" Said Johann.

"Yes, that's why Filo worked hard to learn how to do them," said the winged girl, "but Filo still can't fly." The dragon boy simply sighed at the strange turn the conversation had taken. He counted it as the Boss and Rifana rubbing off on him that he didn't immediately take this as a chance to make fun of her.

"Look Filo, I don't know how you got such a ridiculous idea stuck in your head," said Johann, "but one thing I can say for certain is that Shield Guy isn't going to trade you in for another mount."

"How can you be sure," asked Filo, "how many times could Filo have done better if I'd been able to fly?"

"Not many, because you couldn't pull your wagon if you flew," said Johann, "Shield Guy runs his whole business out of that thing and the only way he's able to get it from place to place is thanks to you. Even with the fragments of the dragon emperor I've obtained I still can't fly with a wagon strapped too me."

"I, uh, yeah you're right," said Filo, "Master does need me to pull the wagon and Filo loves pulling it!"

"And, as much as I hate to admit it, I can't swim either," said Johann, "I just wasn't built for it. But you swam and held your breath forever during the last wave and that's the only reason we were able to beat the boss. Yeah, me flying is super useful but it only works out as well as it does because the Boss can store all kinds of stuff and won't overload me. Truthfully, I'm worried what I'm gonna do now that he's unlocked that teleport skill. Once he's got enough locations, the only drawback will be that hour wait for the recharge."

"But teleporting isn't fun like riding," said Filo, "it's just poof and we're there. But you know master told me the world is a really big place, so I bet it'll be a long time before they have enough locations to make it better than flying. And you did good during the last wave too. Filo and master got the fishy boss out of the water but it was the rest of you that finished it, so there's still plenty you can do with flying." Johann seemed to think on her words for a moment.

"You know I don't like saying this out loud, but you're right," admitted Johann, "I'm way too awesome for some little teleport skill to put me out of business. And I guess, as much as I hate to say this too, you're way more awesome than most Filolials Filo."

"Filo knows," said the girl happily with a smile and her hands behind her back, "so, does this mean we're okay now?"

"I wouldn't say okay," replied Johann as he crossed his arms and thought for a moment, "but I guess we can at least call a truce. What do you say to no more fighting over food?" The dragon boy stuck his hand out expectantly.

"Well, I guess Filo is kinda sorry for making fun of you this morning," admitted the Filolial.

"And I suppose I overreacted a bit," added Johann, "I may be a greedy dragon, but that doesn't mean I can't pick and choose what I'm greedy about. So yeah I guess I'm a little sorry about this morning too."

"Then Filo accepts," she said as she shook the dragon boy's hand, "no more fighting over food!"

"Good, now that we got that out of the way we should probably-HEY!" Exclaimed Johann as he noticed that the basket they'd been putting the poisonous plant in was currently being consumed, by a nasty purple slime. It had apparently managed to creep up on them while they'd been having their heated discussion.

"Give that back you icky slime monster!" Yelled Filo as she and Johann formed their new signature attacks. "Spiral Strike!"

"Lightning Talon!" Added Johann as the two attacks impacted against the slime, blasting it to pieces and littering the area with its fried remains. "Ah man this is so gross," he said as he shook off some of the foul smelling slime.

"I guess we're even at least," said Filo, "Now we're both filthy!"

"Yeah but," Johann pointed to a small pile of debris where the slime used to be, "I think we may have messed up the basket a little."

"Uh oh," said Filo as her face fell a bit. The same thought was running through both their heads at that moment: 'Now what are we gonna do?'

Outskirts of the Village: A Short Time Later

"Oh no what happened to you two?!" Exclaimed Raphtalia as she and Rifana rushed over and started wiping off some of the slime that was still hanging off of the two mounts.

"We, kind of set the basket down for a moment to take a break and-," Johann began.

"A big nasty slime came over and started eating all of the plants we'd gathered, so dum-er-I mean Johann and I blew it up. But we kind of ruined the basket."

"We got what we could Boss," said Johann as he and Filo held out the arm load of flowers they'd managed to collect, "Will this be enough?"

"Forget about those for a moment," said Darius, "What we need to know right now is whether or not you two are okay?"

"We'll be fine, I think," said Filo, "we're just really icky and gross right now."

"Nothing a good scrub and a hot bath won't fix," said Naofumi, "though we're gonna need to drain all the water from that particular bath after you're done so it doesn't get on anyone else."

"Even I feel like agreeing with that," Said Johann, "and I hate baths-hey it's Mel!" Everyone turned to see that the blue-haired royal was indeed strolling up to them.

"Naofumi," called Melty, "we need to discuss the latest shipment of-oh no Filo! Johann! What happened?!"

"A nasty slime monster," said Filo as she rubbed the back of her head, "we killed it but it got us all gross."

"Are you both alright?" Asked Melty as she rushed over to check the two of them.

"Just a little tingly," said Johann, "It might've been bigger than the others we've seen up to this point but it wasn't a problem."

"Though now that you're here maybe you can help with this little problem," said Rifana, "would you mind taking Filo and Johann to the baths? I think they've earned a little rest time."

"YAYYYY!" exclaimed the two mounts as they each grabbed one of Melty's hands and rushed off towards the bathhouse. As the group watched them leave, Raphtalia couldn't help but voice the thought on some of their minds.

"Did they seem like they were getting along for a moment?" She asked. Everyone else simply shrugged at the question before proceeding to head back into the village themselves to continue their work. But the next day the two parties did notice one definite change: Johann and Filo were managing to sit next to each other happily without fighting over a single scrap of food. Though once they learned that Melty had gotten sick from helping clean the slime off of them, it became a battle of who could take care of the second princess better. Rifana's following remark summed it up quite well: "One step at a time I guess."

**One step at a time indeed, and speaking of which, I probably should've voiced this question in the last chapter post. Who all wishes for me to continue posting the occasional side story for Armory of the Forgotten Hero? Just let me know the usual way in a comment or review along with what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. For those wondering, the next side story idea I might be writing is a few scenes from the perspectives of Glass and her group as they reflect on their battles against the Shield and Armory Heroes. In the mean time, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and I'll see you all in the next posting. 'Til then.**


	31. Side Story: Other World Perspective

**Side Story: Other World Perspective**

**Hello everyone and welcome to another little story to help us all kill a bit of time until the next season of Rising of the Shield Hero. No guest review questions this week so let's get to reading!**

Glass's World: End of the Third Wave

"We're almost there!" called Kizuna as she cut through several more lizard monsters with her weapon, "the timer's just appeared and it'll run out soon!"

"I hope Glass is having fun over there," commented L'Arc as he sent out a wave of yellow energy from his scythe, cutting the head off of a large, dog-like warrior monster he'd been fighting, "we may've taken care of the boss but the wave's still going."

"Glass will do what she knows she must," Therese called out as she fried a number of flying insect monsters with her blue flames, "and she's trusting us to do our jobs, so we have to keep fighting."

"Not like I need any encouragement!" Exclaimed L'Arc as he and Kizuna advanced through the horde of monsters, cutting through them swiftly with a combination of basic attacks and the use of their skills. Therese provided support with the occasional blast of her Bejeweled Ruby Blaze, incinerating large groups of monsters whenever their numbers began to get too overwhelming. All the while the timer in their HUDs kept counting down with no sign of Glass appearing any time soon. 'What's taking her so long,' thought Kizuna worriedly, 'I know she said she could handle it, but there was always the possibility the four heroes of the other world aren't as incompetent as the other three that had been summoned here.'

It was when the final seconds started ticking down that a raven-haired figure wearing a blue kimono came falling down from the sky, cutting through several monsters with her jeweled fans. Her arrival also marked the end of the wave as the sky suddenly returned to normal and the remaining enemies scattered. "Glass!" sang Kizuna happily as she rushed forward and embraced her friend, "I was starting to worry something had happened."

"You needn't worry about me Kizuna," replied Glass with a soft smile, "you know I'm more than capable of handling myself."

"Speaking of handling," said L'Arc with his weapon on his shoulder as he and Therese stepped forward, "Did you manage to take care of any of the heroes from the other world?"

"I'm afraid not," said Glass with something of an annoyed sigh, "the ones I encountered got away."

"Did they really give you that much trouble Glassy?" Asked L'Arc in an amused tone.

"Not a single one of them managed to land anything close to a decisive blow on me," said Glass, "I even gave them the chance to use their best attacks and they amounted to little more than an annoyance. No, the two I went after managed to blind me with light magic before escaping on a dragon and giant bird mount with the rest of their party."

"That's curious," said Therese, "why were only two heroes present there?"

"Three others were there also claiming to be heroes," said Glass, "or at the very least they claimed they were not the servants of the other two heroes. But they all went down with a single attack, so it's possible the other two have already met their end in that world."

"Well that might be good news," said Kizuna as she noticed the look on her friend's face, "but something else is bothering you isn't it?"

"I didn't recognize the title of one of them," replied Glass, "He called himself the Armory Hero and he didn't wield a single type of weapon, but several. Swords, spears, axes, even a chained flail and that was before he called on a similar power to the one the Shield Hero used to defeat the wave's main monster."

"So he wields a whole lot of weapons instead of just one," said L'Arc, "that'll just make the fight more interesting."

"You say that now," Said Glass with a serious tone, "but he possesses an ability that allowed him to copy my fans and even the skills I employed. He also used some of the same defensive skills as the Shield Hero, which means he is not an opponent to be underestimated."

"A hero capable of copying vassal weapons and even legendary weapons," said Therese with a hand to her chin before turning to her red-haired companion, "L'Arc, is it possible the royal archives might contain some information on one with such abilities?"

"You got me," said L'Arc with a shrug, "about the only thing I feel like doing once we get back is getting a stiff drink and celebrating our safe return from the waves."

"And I'm certain that won't take away from your royal duties as the king of your country," Glass pointed out, causing L'Arc to go wide-eyed as he realized she was right.

"Well whatever the case we need to get back," said Kizuna as she transformed her blade into its fishing pole form, "there's a huge beach full of fish waiting for me."

Near Kizuna's Mansion: A Few Days Later

If there was one thing Kizuna Kazayama loved doing, it was fishing. She could easily get lost in the seemingly simple yet engrossing activity for hours at a time, which was good until it started interfering with her duties as a hero. But she'd already spent the day leveling with Glass and the others and given that it was practically sunset it made for the perfect time to go fishing. Having a beach near her home helped a fair bit in this matter as well.

But, her time of peace and quiet came to an end with Glass's sudden arrival. "So it seems you're here again," said the fan wielder, "not that I'm really surprised at this point."

"You know me," said Kizuna as she pulled her line out of the water and examined her latest catch, "If I could I'd probably spend all my days fishing."

"That you would," agreed Glass as she sat down next to her friend, "and if we're able to stop the waves it would become close to a reality."

"Assuming I don't go back to my own world," said Kizuna as she tossed her line out into the water again, "but I still find it kind of strange. We have to kill the heroes of another world, dooming it to the waves, in order to save this one."

"I can't say I enjoy the prospect either," admitted Glass, "but being a hero is not an easy task to begin with, otherwise there would be many heroes."

"I guess that's true," said Kizuna, "out of curiosity, did the ones you fight seem like bad people?"

"The three that faced me first, I believe their names were Lee, Roy, and Jenkins-," said Glass before being interrupted by her friend snickering, "what's so funny about that?"

"Oh nothing," said Kizuna as she tried and failed to hold in her laughter, "It's just, I remember watching something from my own world with three guys charging in yelling their names one after the other. They got the shit beaten out of them in-game."

"Fascinating, and I suppose it is an accurate representation of those three's behavior: comically inept," said Glass, still not certain what was so funny about all of that or why her friend felt the need to swear about it. "But whatever the case our duty is still clear. Naturally we'll avoid involving anyone that has nothing to do with our mission so long as they don't interfere."

"Well that's the thing Glass," said Kizuna with a sigh, "I, I think I should go next time."

"What," said a confused Glass, "but Kizuna you can't leave here? As one of the holy heroes your role is to defend this world while vassal wielders like me and L'Arc are supposed to invade others."

"Actually, I did some research on that," replied Kizuna as she reeled her line back in, this time with nothing on it. "A holy hero like me can actually go to another world if special permission is granted by a powerful sacred beast or artifact. You remember that core we got from defeating the dragon emperor when I first arrived?"

"I know we currently have it locked up in L'Arc's castle armory," replied Glass, "are you saying you can get special permission if you use the core?"

"It's worth a shot at least," said Kizuna with a smile, "I've already run the idea by L'Arc and Therese and they've agreed to take me along if it works."

"So you intend for me to stay here this time then?" Asked Glass with a raised eyebrow.

"Well it's pretty clear we need more information on the world we're dealing with," said Kizuna as she rubbed the back of her head, "and given that the other heroes have kind of seen you already, we'd most likely have a whole kingdom coming down on us if you came along." Glass knew she couldn't really argue with that logic as she had declared herself that world's enemy by both her words and her actions. "But, once the wave hits you can be standing by waiting for us and if you get too worried, you can come help. Does that sound like a fair compromise?"

"It's fair enough I suppose," said Glass in resignation, "just be careful over there. Our world cannot afford to lose even a single hero right now."

"Don't worry," said Kizuna with a smile as she pointed a thumb at herself, "L'Arc, Therese and I are a formidable trio." A sudden rustling caught the holy hero's attention as she looked down to see a penguin-like creature wearing what she knew as a Santa Claus hat. "Oh and of course you as well Chris." The penguin crossed its arms and nodded, happy that its owner hadn't forgotten it.

Dragon Hourglass: A Day Later

"I'll ask one last time," said Glass, "are you certain I shouldn't come along with you?"

"Jeez, relax already Glassy," said L'Arc, "you told us the biggest threats were those two heroes and they hardly laid a scratch on ya. Now it's gonna be me, Therese and Kizuna all going so we should be fine."

"Well I suppose you're at least more competent than the other holy heroes," admitted Glass as she held up the purple spherical core of the dragon emperor, "just try to stay out of trouble and remember to come straight back here if the enemy world discovers who you really are."

"We will," said Kizuna with a thumbs up as the core started glowing.

"You take care as well Glass," said Therese, "we'll be counting on you to look after things in our absence."

"Just try to hurry back," said the fan wielder as she pulled out one of her fans. The jewel on it produced a glow that matched the core as a large, swirling portal suddenly opened that seemed to house a number of stars inside of it. As the group looked on, the expected message popped up: 'Prohibition Notice: The four Holy Heroes cannot travel to other worlds.' "Now it's time for a gamble! Oh great heart of the dragon emperor we beseech thee, grant this hero passage into the other world so that she may do battle on our behalf!"

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, the glowing orb grew brighter as the text on their HUDs changed: 'Special Permission: The Four Heroes can travel to other worlds with some restrictions.' "I guess that's as good as we're gonna get," said L'Arc with an expectant smile on his face, "now let's head out!" The group all jumped into the portal and disappeared from sight without a hint of the usual barrier appearing to prevent Kizuna's travel.

"Well that went better than expec-," Glass spoke too soon as the closing portal suddenly coughed up a familiar looking penguin familiar. "Oh no, Chris, why are you back?" The little creature stood up and signaled to the vassal weapon holder, confirming her fears. "So that's one of the restrictions, you can't travel with her. If the other world's heroes figure out the weakness of her weapon then, no, L'Arc and Therese are with her so we'll just have to have faith now that they'll last until the next wave. And when it arrives I will join them should the need be great enough."

Kizuna's Mansion: After the Fourth Wave

"We still could've won," said Glass weakly as Kizuna carried her inside, followed by Therese who was carrying L'Arc.

"You were about to use a move that could've ended your life," the holy hero pointed out, "if it hadn't worked, we'd be down a vassal wielder and that's not even mentioning the fact that I could've lost a friend for nothing."

"It would've been-," Glass had to cover her mouth to keep from retching as Kizuna set her on one of the large sofas in her home.

"You just worry about resting up for now," said Kizuna before turning to Therese, "how's he holding up?"

"Oh I'm fine," slurred L'Arc, "the only bad news is that I can't drink a toast to our safe-hmmmf." The scythe wielder covered his mouth as Therese quickly led him over to a waste basket. She reached it just in time as the vassal wielder proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach into the rest of the trash.

"He got a bit banged up fighting the Armory Hero," explained Therese, "but otherwise this is how he usually gets when he's excessively drunk."

"I guess I'd better leave that part out when I tell everyone else what happened over there," said Kizuna with her arms crossed, "probably wouldn't do so well for morale if everyone found out our two best fighters were brought down by barrels of alcoholic fruit." A sudden chirping drew her attention then as her penguin familiar came waddling into the room and jumped into her arms. "Chris! I missed you so much, has Glass been taking good care of you?"

The little familiar chirped and waved its fins in a series of gestures. "Yeah Glass isn't the best at playing games, but you know she still cares." The Santa hat wearing penguin simply nodded at this before noticing something seemed to be on its owner's mind. The jewel-wielding magic caster also picked up on her mood.

"I suppose I should ask now while these two are out cold," said Therese, who'd managed to get L'Arc on his own sofa. The man was so intoxicated at the moment that he'd passed out almost as soon as his head hit the couch cushions. "Are you planning on trying to go back to that world again?"

"It'd be a waste of time at this point," said Kizuna, "I know a lot more about the enemy we're fighting now, but they also know the weakness to my weapon. Without Chris to help me fight actual people I'd only be good for killing monsters over there."

"Yes, but that's not the only thing troubling you at the moment," said Therese as she put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Tell me, what's really bothering you right now?"

"Well," Kizuna began, "you know I was never really for the idea of killing the other world's heroes in the first place. And now that I've actually faced them I'm even more convinced that something's not right about it."

"But the ancient texts of this country were quite clear," said Therese, "In order for the life of this world to be extended we must sacrifice the heroes of the other world."

"If that were entirely true then why is my weapon incapable of killing other people?" Asked Kizuna, "I've been going over it in my head since we got back and it just doesn't add up."

"Perhaps you weren't meant to ever face them," offered Therese, "after all it is the job of the vassal weapon holders to invade another world, not the holy heroes."

"But if their world operates on similar rules then they should have vassal wielders too," Kizuna pointed out, "what good would my weapon be then?"

"It would still work to drive them back," Therese suggested, though she didn't sound entirely certain, "after all the survival of the holy heroes means the continued survival of the world."

"I know that much is true," said Kizuna as she continued to turn the situation over in her head. But the more angles she looked at it the more questions that arose. "But there are too many things not adding up. Not a single vassal wielder from their world has shown up and, for whatever reason, a fifth hero was summoned to their world while we only have four."

"Perhaps the rules of their world allow for an extra hero if their vassal weapon wielders fall," suggested Therese.

"Argh, there's just way too much about all of this that doesn't make sense," said Kizuna as she gripped her head with her hands for a moment before calming down. "I'm gonna go figure out a few things for a bit, could you keep an eye on Glass and L'Arc in the meantime?"

"It's pretty much a part of my daily routine at this point," said Therese, "and besides, you took a few blows yourself out there, so it'd be best if we all got some rest for a little while." Kizuna nodded as she headed off to her own room for a bit. She didn't get a lot of sleep that night as her mind continued to wander to the numerous questions, one of which was the purpose of the heroes in general.

The Next Day: Entrance of Kizuna's Mansion

"Are you really sure about this," asked Glass as she sat on the steps leading into her friend's home. She might have slept peacefully but that much alcohol was a fast track for just about anyone to get a hangover of some form. L'Arc wasn't doing much better as he sat next to his comrade with his own hand on his head.

"I spent all morning reading over the texts in my room about the waves," Replied Kizuna, "and not a single one of them offers a solid explanation as to why killing the heroes of one world prolongs the survival of ours. So I've decided to venture out of this country for a bit to see if I can't find any more information to fill in the blanks. I'll try to be back before the next wave hits."

"But shouldn't one of us go with you," L'Arc more groaned than asked.

"You guys know I can take care of myself," said Kizuna with a dismissive wave, "and besides, the three of you need to get some more training in so you're ready for the next trip to the other world. That is, unless you like getting knocked around and having barrels of alcohol dumped on you."

"I suppose you have something of a point," admitted Glass with a hand to her head, "just remember to contact us if something happens. And Chris, take care of her would you." The penguin familiar waved, giving its best impression of a thumbs up before he and Kizuna turned and headed off, with the holy hero waving back at her companions one more time before walking out of sight. This would be the last they saw of her for a very long while.

**Mysteries abound in both worlds as the nature of the waves continues to elude the heroes. On the other hand, though, here's hoping this little chapter cleared up a few bits of confusion on how Kizuna got to Raphtalia's world and why Chris wasn't fighting with her, *cough* I forgot *cough*. As always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Possible next chapter, seeing the initial impressions of the Armory Hero from the perspective of the Three Heroes. Let me know if you think that's a good idea. 'Til then.**


	32. Side Story: Heroic Regression

**Side Story: Heroic Regression**

**And here we are again with a side story heavily requested by our readers! But real quick, a guest review needs answering: curioustomjerry-I don't exactly have any plans for the heroes to meet the rulers before the start of what will probably be the Spirit Tortoise arc, though I might be able to squeeze a quick appearance in somewhere. Also, shout out to Gadget boy for giving me the idea on how to outline this chapter. Now, onto the story! **

Immediately After the Second Wave

"Just who in the world are you Darius Saxon, so-called Armory Hero," Itsuki thought aloud as he and his party along with the other two heroes and their parties walked back towards the castle.

"It does raise a few questions," said Ren with a hand to his chin, "we were all told there were only supposed to be four cardinal heroes and now someone else claiming the title of hero has shown up practically out of nowhere."

"Are you two still stuck on that new guy," said Motoyasu in mild annoyance, "he's probably just some pretender trying to cash in on the waves and make some kind of name for himself. I mean did you see the entrance he tried to pull off, a throne of weapons, seriously."

"I agree wholeheartedly," said Myne who was practically hanging off of the Spear Hero, "He not only travels with a filthy demi-human that he makes no effort to control but he's also made it clear that he's sided with that dreadful Shield Hero, even after we were kind enough to warn him."

"But that still doesn't answer the question of how he summoned those weapons and chains in the first place," Ren pointed out, "not to mention he demonstrated that he does have the ability to absorb materials into the jewels on his bands, something that only cardinal weapons should be able to do."

"That's not the only question we need answered about him either," said Itsuki, "One thing we need to know without a doubt is whether or not he's on the side of justice. It's always possible he sided with Naofumi because he intends to stop him from committing another crime."

"Or he could just be some lowlife who happens to know a few magic tricks," Said Motoyasu, "All we gotta do is ask the king about whether or not there's an Armory Hero and if he says no then that's that."

"Or," suggested Ren, "we wait and see whether or not he shows up at the castle this evening. If he does intend to travel with Naofumi, who's currently penniless, then they'll have no choice but to come up to receive their reward for fighting the waves."

"I guess that means it's time for the next fated encounter event of this game," remarked Itsuki as they continued on to the castle.

Melromarc Castle: After the Spear and Shield Hero's Duel

"You saw that right," said Itsuki as the two heroes were heading to their quarters for the night, "please tell me you saw what happened back there?"

"Are we talking about Myne's illegal use of magic or how Darius created a replica of your bow out of thin air?" Asked Ren.

"One that he used to threaten the king with," added Itsuki, "It was even building up energy like my bow does right before an attack."

"Yes, but there was something slightly off about it," Ren pointed out, "the coloration and the energy were different. It's possible he can only create and maintain those replicas for a short time. Given what he told us at the banquet, it actually lends a bit to his story of being a cardinal hero."

"Or he might be like one of those copycat characters that stores and uses the fighting styles of several characters," Itsuki suggested, "and if I remember correctly, those guys are almost always bad guys."

"Not always," said Ren, "I believe there was a hero of sorts from something known as the Fate series who was able to copy and generate weapons and an anime that I can't quite remember the name of where a ninja used some sort of ocular power to copy other techniques. He became the village leader at some point near the end of the series."

"They made a series like that in my world too," said Itsuki, "and guess what, the main villain had a similar ocular power and was capable of taking on an entire army. The only way they were able to beat him was by using sealing techniques to halt the power of his eyes and then nine tailed demons bombarded him into oblivion."

"Really, the series ended differently in my world. Maybe we should stick with what we've seen so far," said Ren, "He did help us out during the wave and his story about being from another world is plausible given that he knows the names of countries that aren't from this world. He threatened the king twice but both times were in defense of his comrades, even if the second time seemed to be a bit more emotional than logical. He also raised that shield wall which dispersed whatever wind magic Myne had used, meaning he was telling the truth about preventing interference as just raising a shield wall slightly off to the side in the middle of the duel wouldn't have really changed the outcome."

"It was still surprising to see Motoyasu get that outclassed by a guy who can't even attack that much," said Itsuki, "but I guess that's what he gets for underestimating his opponent. I heard he had to turn in early due to a headache."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Ren dismissively, "what we should be thinking about right now is whether or not we should accept Darius as the cardinal hero he says he is or try to call him out on it?"

"Well surprise characters like him tend to be overly friendly and try to earn the trust of the other heroes before betraying them in most games," Itsuki recalled.

"If that were the case then he would've tried befriending one of us instead of a known criminal," Ren pointed out, "Which would mean he might be more like one of those characters who have their own goals and motivations that don't align with anyone. For now, I think we should just give him the benefit of the doubt as he hasn't shown any actual open hostility towards us and he's brought up some interesting observations about the King."

"Well worst comes to worse and he does betray us, he'll quickly learn what happens to those that challenge justice," said Itsuki, "speaking of which, we should probably make sure him and Naofumi get what they were promised for fighting the waves. After all, if the royals aren't willing to uphold the laws they set in place then who will?"

Outside Lute Village: After the Race

'This is some bullshit,' thought Motoyasu as he was forced to lay in a cart on the way back to Castle Town. 'I've been humiliated twice in barely a week's time and I got my jewels kicked in by a fat bird of all things!'

"Is he gonna be alright?" Asked one of the Spear Hero's other party members, a girl wearing a witch's hat.

"I don't often deal with these kinds of injuries," replied the old healer who was currently applying magic to the affected region, "but I do believe he'll make a full recovery in a day or two."

"Oh this sort of thing is nothing," assured Motoyasu with a dismissive wave from his spot on the cart, "just give me an hour or two and I'll be back up in no ti-ow!" The cart just so happened to hit a bump at that moment.

"Well I'd recommend wearing a bit of protection around that spot from this point on," said the healer, "it'd be a shame if one of the cardinal heroes suddenly became unable to please those of their heart's desire."

"That means you'd best be doing your job healer," warned Myne, "His highness, and I, shall be most displeased if you fail."

"All talk about Sir Hero's junk aside," said their other party member, a girl with pink hair tied in a braid, "what exactly is our plan now?"

"Well that should be obvious," said the Spear Hero with a thumbs up, "we go out and recruit a few more cute party members, grind some levels and help those in need, like heroes are supposed to do."

"And if we encounter that blasted Shield Hero and his right hand, the Armory Hero, we'll make them pay for our humiliation," added Myne as she rubbed a sore spot on her back. 'I just hope Sir Motoyasu choses wisely, otherwise some of our new party members might be discouraged from traveling with us.' Thought the royal while hiding a cruel smile.

Castle Town: Local Inn

"So you actually managed to slay a dragon," said Itsuki, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised given how into monster hunting you've been."

"It was a tough fight," admitted Ren, "tough enough that I actually had to bring in my party to take it down. But they did their jobs and managed to give me the opening I needed to deal the finishing blow."

"Well I suppose I haven't done anything quite as grand as that," said Itsuki, "my party and I just did a few little favors for the resistance of Koteraan and now their king is overthrown. He won't be overtaxing his people again any time soon."

"And naturally you went in and out with as much subtlety as possible," commented Ren, "do the people up in that country even know that it was the Bow Hero helping them out?"

"All they need to know is that their problem is taken care of and that it was the adventurers from Melromarc that did it," said Itsuki smugly, "my party and I are dedicated to eradicating evil wherever we find it, big or small. We sneak in during the night and disappear before anyone even knows we were there. But they'll see the results and know that justice was done."

"Not that we really need to be subtle about it," said Ren, "we're the chosen cardinal heroes, so we'll get praise and reward whether people know we did the deed or not. That's why I decided to go ahead and leave the dragon's corpse as a landmark. It'll give people hope knowing the cardinal heroes are strong enough to slay even the strongest of monsters."

"Speaking of the people," said Itsuki, "have you heard the rumors about those other two figures going around lately?"

"I've heard something about a 'Savior of the Heavenly Fowl,'" replied Ren, "and the occasional mention of a 'Merciful Dragon Knight' on the way back from the dragon slaying. The people seem to like them pretty well because they both deliver supplies, food, medicines and other assorted items throughout the kingdom."

"Well I happened to hear on my way back that the so-called Savior also heals the sick and that the Dragon Knight is an accomplished monster hunter. Honestly I thought the second one was you for a moment given that the king did offer us all dragons."

"Apparently for one to be considered a dragon knight, however, they must be able to master riding a flying dragon," said Ren, "I honestly thought it might be Darius and Naofumi for a moment but where would they even find a flying dragon or this weird fowl?"

"Well we can ask them if they happen to show up at the next wave," said Itsuki as he stood up, "in the meantime I need to get going. Justice needs serving and I believe we both have rewards waiting on us."

Immediately After the Third Wave

"Oh, who was that?" Groaned Motoyasu as he rubbed his head, "two boss monsters is one thing but a crazy fan lady too."

"It does seem like we triggered some kind of event this wave," said Ren, "perhaps it was one of those fights we weren't meant to win." But even as he said that he couldn't help but recall the words of Naofumi and Darius: 'This isn't a game!'

"Then what do you call that cheating rage shield Naofumi pulled out of nowhere," Questioned Itsuki, "and I'm pretty sure I saw Darius use some other power up trick right before I passed out. Neither of them are at the level we are and yet somehow they managed to hold their own."

"And that lady with the fans called us their servants," spat Motoyasu, "where does a boss get off saying who is and isn't a hero anyway?"

"It doesn't really matter what she thinks she's our enemy," said Ren, "What's important right now is that we get healed and level up even higher. That way we'll be able to fight on equal footing next time."

"And we'll show that boss chick who the real heroes of this world are!" Exclaimed Motoyasu before grabbing his throbbing head again.

"Well then we'd best not waste too much time," said Itsuki as he noted his party was waving at him, "I'm heading back to Castle Town to stock up, so if you need anything my party and I will be there." Ren and Motoyasu simply shrugged at this statement as Itsuki joined his party and began heading back towards their destination.

"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that Sir Itsuki is already back up and on the job," said Rojeel.

"It takes a lot more than that to keep a hero of justice down," remarked Itsuki, "but now we know to prioritize leveling a bit more in preparation for the next wave. Speaking of which." One of the lizard monsters which had come with the wave had suddenly stumbled out of the bushes in front of them, looking more confused than anything. Itsuki readied his bow and pulled back the string. "We might as well get started right n-BOOM!"

His statement was interrupted by a fireball roasting his target as the monster fell over dead in front of them. "Who dares interrupt the justice of the great Bow Hero?!" roared Mald as he pulled his sword out.

"Oh," said a surprised girl with green hair in twin braids as she adjusted her glasses a little, "I'm sorry I didn't know more adventurers had shown up. Are you here to help quell the remaining monsters from the wave?"

"Our entire purpose is to quell the waves and all evil that crosses our path!" Exclaimed Mald, "and you have just stolen a kill from the greatest of all, Sir Itsuki the Bow Hero!"

"What, you mean 'the' Bow Hero, as in the real one?" Questioned the girl with varying degrees of surprise and confusion.

"Of course he's real," said Rojeel as she pointed to Itsuki's weapon, "No one else could wield this legendary weapon."

"So that's the real legendary bow," said Rishia as she stepped closer to examine it. "It's a much lighter color and the jewel is yellow instead of white."

"You make it sound like you're comparing this bow to another one," said Itsuki.

"I'm sorry," said the green-haired girl as she looked back up, "It's just that the bow that saved me and my country was a replica of this one."

"Replica of the-wait a minute," said Itsuki, "are you telling me you're from the country of Koteraan, the one that Darius claimed to have visited recently?"

"Yes," she said, "my name is Rishia Ivyred and I hail from the country of Koteraan, which was recently liberated by the Armory Hero, Darius Saxon, and the rest of his party. I actually came here as part of a group to help him and the Shield Hero combat the waves as a way to repay him for his kindness."

"But he stole the identity of the great Sir Itsuki and used it to pretend to be a hero!" exclaimed Mald, "Your country was already saved by us when we helped your resistance oust the previous king."

"It was a short-lived peace I'm afraid," said Rishia as she bowed her head a bit, "as soon as their own power was fully established, the revolutionaries went and hiked up the taxes anyway while also hiring mercenaries and bandits to quell dissent. Many fled the country as refugees, some of whom were lucky just to survive making it to the border of Melromarc. Even my family, who are nobles, couldn't afford some of the prices put on us and I was taken away as part of a payment to another lord."

"But that can't be right," said Itsuki, "the country was doing fine when we left."

"I don't blame you for the state it fell into," said Rishia, "you couldn't have known what would happen once you left and I'm certain you would've done the same as Darius. He says he imitated you because he didn't have the same authority as a cardinal hero, but he revealed who he was in the end and the people still celebrated his help. We're a much happier nation working towards a better tomorrow now thanks to him and-oh, you seem to be hurt." Rishia reached up and began using a simple healing spell on a mark that Itsuki had failed to notice on his hand.

"You can use healing magic too," noted Rojeel with a hint of surprise.

"I can actually use several forms of magic," explained Rishia, "they said I had a fair bit of talent during my schooling."

"You know we actually do lack a magic user," said the Bow Hero as he examined his hand, "tell you what: how would you like to travel with a real cardinal hero and help us dispense justice?"

"R-really," squeaked Rishia, "Oh, but I'm already working with Sir Darius and Sir Naofumi, I can't just abandon them."

"You're not abandoning them," said Rojeel, "just making a switch to something better. Don't worry, we'll let the rest of your party know where you went off too."

"I suppose that could work," said Rishia, "I know Sir Darius would understand me wanting to help as much as I can."

"Forget that imitator," Mald almost spat, "you'll be traveling with a real hero of justice now."

"Mald's enthusiasm aside," said Itsuki, "I would like to show you how we handle things. So what do you say?" Rishia looked to the side for a bit as she pondered her options. 'Well our group is going to have to split from Darius and Naofumi's parties for a while so that we can all travel a little easier, and this would be a good opportunity to help out those in need. Plus, I can learn what really happened to my country and how I can keep it from falling into such a state again.'

"I'll do it," said Rishia as she looked back up, "traveling with a cardinal hero is considered an honor for any adventurer, so I accept your offer."

Melromarc Castle: A Couple Days Later

"What do you mean the Shield and Armory Hero kidnapped the second princess?!" exclaimed Rishia as the gathered parties all stood in the main hall of the castle, "that doesn't make sense, why would they do something like that?"

"Quiet down Rishia," said Rojeel with a bit of a warning in her voice, "the heroes are currently holding a council. It is not our place to interrupt them." The glasses wearing mage wanted to say more to that, but instead decided to at least listen to what the accusations were.

"What sort of proof do you have to back up this sort of claim Motoyasu?" Questioned Ren.

"We got all the proof we need right here," replied the Spear Hero as he held up a crystal ball and began playing the recording on it. What they saw did appear to be both the Shield and Armory Hero's parties fighting off Melty's guards with either evil or sadistic looks on their faces while Melty looked absolutely terrified by what was happening.

"So it seems they may have finally shown their true colors," said Itsuki, "I also recall hearing that Darius and Naofumi even threatened the King and Malty a couple of days ago."

"Where did you get this recording by the way?" Questioned Ren.

"Malty got it from the royal mages and brought it straight to me the moment she heard," replied Motoyasu, "she said her sister's guards recorded the whole thing in their last moments before sending it to the castle. She's worried sick you know."

"I guess that means we won't be able to ask any of the guards how those two found the princess in the first place," said Itsuki.

"We don't need too," said the Spear Hero, "Malty told me her sister actually went looking for them, something about getting them to come back here for some reason before they got out of the country."

"Wait, they were trying to leave the country?" Questioned a confused Ren, "Why would they suddenly decide to kidnap the princess if they were leaving? It sounds like a spur of the moment decision at best."

"Or they had it planned out all along," replied an annoyed Motoyasu, "come on guys it's like I've been saying since the beginning those two are no good and now we have actual proof."

"Out of curiosity though, what are you thinking Ren?" Questioned Itsuki.

"Well we do still need to get the princess back," replied the Sword Hero, "but I think we should avoid killing either of them unless absolutely necessary. There's still a few pieces not adding up here."

"I don't see what pieces we're missing," said the Spear Hero, "we're going out to save the princess from her captors. It's pretty much the textbook hero's quest right there."

"Well if something does turn out to be fishy, we should be able to handle it," said Itsuki, "we're the cardinal heroes after all and now we get to prove it to them as well."

"Now you're talking!" exclaimed Motoyasu, "so let's go save us a princess and a darling little angel!"

"Uh, what angel?" Questioned a confused Ren. 'Angels aren't in this world too are they?'

"Oh, uh, nothing just thinking out loud," said Motoyasu, "but yeah let's go show them what real heroics look like!"

One of the Royal Clinics: After the Battle with the Pope

"Unbelievable," said Ren as he sat up in his hospital bed, "how did we miss something like an entire cult operating in the Kingdom?"

"The Three Hero's Church is the state religion," rationalized Itsuki, "there was no reason to think they would make a move on the crown, or so we thought."

"I still can't believe we actually took orders from Naofumi," grumbled Motoyasu, "And then Darius just comes in and makes it look like a milk run. How many cheat abilities do those guys have?"

"He said it was a onetime thing," Ren reminded them, "I doubt he'll get a moment to shine like that again so easily."

"But there's still the matter of that wrath shield," said Itsuki, "and the fact that Darius saved us using a replica of that shield. I still can't find anything about that ability in my help menu, can you guys?"

"Not a thing," said Motoyasu, "I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that there's a weapon out there as strong as any of ours. If other people can get their hands on cheat gear like that then what are we supposed to do?"

"We still have the option to keep on leveling," Ren pointed out, "and now that we know things have clearly been hidden from us by the Three Heroes Church we may be able to find a way to get even stronger."

"I just hope we don't run into any more surprises like a freakin' coup de tat attempt," said Motoyasu, "I mean seriously a frame up job and a smear campaign against two out of the five heroes. That sort of nonsense should've been obvious from the start."

"And yet you were the only one who didn't investigate the church," said Itsuki smugly, "actually come to think of it, didn't it seem like Myne knew the pope?"

"Oh crap I forgot," said the Spear Hero as he almost leapt out of his bed, "I need to go check on the rest of my party. No one's seen them since we got back!" The cardinal hero rushed out the door, leaving his two fellow heroes to simply stare after him for a moment before shrugging.

"I've said it before," commented Itsuki, "that guy has a one track mind when it comes to women."

"Guess we'll just pick up the slack as usual," said Ren with a sigh before one of the nurses suddenly showed up at the door.

"Excuse me Sir Heroes," said the nurse, "but I have just been informed that the Queen wishes to see you both at the castle tomorrow morning. She will be making a special announcement and would like all four heroes to be in attendance. However, the only party members that shall be permitted are those of the Shield and Armory Hero."

"What, but why?" Questioned Itsuki, "Our party members have always been allowed in the castle before?"

"I'm afraid I know not," said the nurse, "I only know that the Queen was very specific in her instructions that no other parties be allowed in tomorrow."

"I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference one way or the other," said Ren, "If it's just an announcement then there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

"Alright," said Itsuki, "but I can guarantee that Mald isn't going to be happy about this?"

Castle Town: After the Trial of Bitch and Trash

Whatever the three heroes had been expecting from the announcement that day, a full on trial and sentencing of two people they'd trusted to one degree or another was not one of them. The now returned Mirellia Q. Melromarc, the Queen and rightful ruler of the kingdom, hadn't held back in the trial either. She had both her daughter and husband dragged into the throne room in chains and ordered a slave crest applied to Malty to insure she wasn't lying. From that point on it'd been revelation after revelation as she laid out the crimes the two had been charged with including cooperation with The Three Heroes Church, framing Naofumi and Darius for crimes they didn't commit and multiple abuses of royal authority. The Armory Hero and his party took things one step further as Rifana pointed out the guard captain who'd helped Malty start a massive fire in the forest while Darius brought in the multiple victims of Myne's party who'd been either scared away, forced out or in a few cases sold into slavery.

It had been an eye opening scene as Malty denied nearly every charge only to be electrocuted by her slave crest for lying. The culmination of it all was their punishment which would've ended in beheading by guillotine if Naofumi hadn't stepped in and suggested their new names: former King Trash and former princess Bitch, who was also called Slut while adventuring. Darius added onto the punishment by having the ex-princess beaten to a pulp in front of her father and forbid any healing of her face. The two criminals, along with the rest of Motoyasu's party members who'd helped Slut commit some of her crimes, were now currently being held in the castle until the Queen decided what else should be done with them.

The one bright spot in all of this unpleasantness was that the Queen declared a time of celebration for the birth of the new state religion, the Five Hero's Church, and for justice being served to those who'd threatened the well-being of the kingdom. This is why the three heroes were currently in one of their favorite Inns along with many of the other townspeople who were eating and drinking the night away. "I still can't believe some of what I heard back there," said Itsuki between bites of food, "I mean we'd figured out that the princess wasn't as pure and innocent as she'd been acting this whole time but to think she was responsible for that many crimes."

"It's not the straight forward sort of thing I was expecting either," admitted Ren, "but then again this whole thing hasn't been as straight forward as expected. Still, it's good to know that Naofumi wasn't the lowly villain we thought he was and that Darius really is a cardinal hero."

"Speak for yourselves," said Motoyasu, "Even if she did a few things wrong did she really deserve to have her beautiful face destroyed like that? At least the guillotine would've left something nice for the funeral."

"I think you've got bigger concerns right now," Itsuki pointed out, "because as of just a few hours ago you officially have no party members whatsoever to speak of. You might want to do something about that before the next wave."

"I ain't worried about that," said Motoyasu as he took a bite of some red fruit that had been laid out on the table with the rest of the condiments, "It was pretty easy recruiting party members before so how hard can it really be to find a few new ones? I'll get to it once I finish some more of this delicious fruit. Hey waiter, where'd you get this stuff from anyway?"

"A village from the Southwest brought them in last month," explained the waiter, "according to them the fruit was actually made by the Shield Hero after he saved their village from a cursed seed."

"Uh," a sudden, potentially embarrassing realization crossed the Spear Hero's mind upon hearing that, "How did that seed get into the village anyway?"

"Well I don't know quite all of the details," said the Waiter, "but apparently one claiming to be a hero retrieved the cursed seed from a labyrinth that had been designed to keep it locked away and presented it as a miracle crop to end the village's famine. Instead of a miracle, however, it created a number of vines and plant monsters that ravaged the area until the Shield Hero arrived and ended the infestation. His ally the Armory Hero assisted in burning the remaining monsters after that while Sir Shield Hero used his own magic to create a new seed capable of growing incredible plants that bear this fruit. I'm not sure how much of it is actually true but this fruit's delectability is authentic."

"Uh yeah great," said Motoyasu a little nervously, "I mean there was no way an actual hero would've screwed up and taken a cursed seed like that, so it was probably an imposter."

"Didn't Naofumi mention something about you delivering a seed or something that messed up a-," Itsuki started to say before the Spear Hero suddenly shot to his feet.

"Anyway! I'd best get to party recruiting so you guys have fun," said Motoyasu as he hurried away from the other two.

"Wow, guess that really was his handiwork after all," commented Itsuki as he took a swig of his beverage. But as he put it down, he noticed Ren's mood had shifted to a more melancholy one as he poked at his own food. "Is something wrong Ren?"

"He wasn't the only one to mess up," replied Ren, "we messed up too in our duties as heroes."

"What do you mean," said Itsuki, "Motoyasu may've blindly trusted Myne-er-Slut but we actually looked into the Three Heroes Church. Not only that we stood up for Naofumi and Darius after that rigged duel."

"But I caused an epidemic Itsuki," said Ren, "I assumed that dragon's carcass would just up and disappear but it didn't. Instead it caused a sickness to spread through the nearby village, and that was before it reanimated into a zombie dragon. If Naofumi hadn't acted it would still be there right now."

"Doesn't that just mean there are extra conditions for defeating it," suggested Itsuki, "It's possible that monster was supposed to revive itself and you just left before it could activate."

"But what kind of sense does that make?" Questioned Ren, "If it were like any other game the corpse would've reanimated right away. But it rotted and decayed like any corpse would. Even the VR tech in my world can't replicate something like that."

"Well I'll admit this world is a lot more complicated than we first thought upon arriving here," said Itsuki, "but one slip up doesn't mean we're not heroes."

"Those 'slip-ups' as you're calling them cost people their lives," said Ren, "can we really be sure some of our other acts of heroism turned out as well as we hoped?"

"I don't know what you want me to say right now Ren," replied the Bow Hero with a frown, "If I had a way to prove whether or not this world is actually a game I'd tell you."

"There might be," Ren said as a thought entered his mind, "We have some time now, so I'm going back to that village to see for myself what happened."

"If you really think you need too," said Itsuki with a shrug as he took another bite of his meal.

"Are you saying you're not curious about what happened to the country you saved?" Questioned Ren with a raised eyebrow.

"My new party member, Rishia, is actually from the country I saved," responded Itsuki, "from what I've heard she doesn't blame us for what happened and honestly I don't believe she has much reason too. If the revolutionaries turned on their own people then all that means is that I didn't expend as much justice in that country as I should have. Darius may think it would've been better for me to show myself and use my authority as a cardinal hero openly but that might've left a potential evil still sitting on the throne."

"Isn't it also possible he'd have been too intimidated by a cardinal hero to cause any further trouble," Ren pointed out.

"I eliminated an evil from that kingdom," defended Itsuki, "as heroes it is our duty to eliminate any and all evil that crosses our paths. Naofumi and Darius might've been cleared of all charges but that doesn't mean they know better than us or that they're-." The Bow Hero was interrupted by the sound of something splashing nearby. As it turned out, the one getting splashed was Motoyasu.

"No means no!" exclaimed a red-headed girl wearing some leather armor with a rapier on her belt as she held a now empty wine goblet in her hand. "I am sorry that you currently have no party Sir Hero, I really am, but I won't travel with someone who knowingly or unknowingly keeps such awful company."

"Oh come on the other girls were gathered by Myne and the King," pleaded the Spear Hero, "But I'm handpicking the party members this time so there should be no problem."

"And if some of the other members turn out to be disreputable but pretty who will you believe?" Questioned the Adventurer, "because it seems all 'Slut' had to do was bat her eyes and you'd forget there was even a problem. Until today I honestly didn't think it was possible for someone to be so thickheaded that they'd actually continue to defend someone who was clearly proven guilty."

"But I was just-," Motoyasu tried to say before he was silenced by the Adventurer raising her hand.

"I am honored that you considered me for your party Sir Hero," she said, "but I have my own party that needs attending too. So I bid you good day." She bowed quickly before turning and leaving as a wine drenched Spear Hero stared dumbfounded after her with the same thought repeating over and over again in his head. 'What in the world just happened?'

The Zombie Dragon Village: The Next Day

"Sir Ren," asked one of his party members, Welt, as they stood outside the village, "for what purpose have we come back here?"

"There's something I need to investigate," Ren answered simply, "for now, head into the woods and see if you can't find any monsters. We still need to get our levels up for the next wave."

"As you wish Sir Hero," replied his party member before the rest of them headed off. Ren, in the meantime, pulled the hood of the brown cloak he'd brought with him further over his head as he proceeded to walk into the village and observed the state of it. The people seemed happy as they went about their daily tasks, though that didn't disguise the fact that the village was still a little run down.

"Ah, and what brings you here?" Questioned a man wearing a white cloth cap with a type of cape flowing down around his shoulders.

"This village," said Ren, "is it true there was some kind of an epidemic here not too long ago? It seems hard to believe."

"And I wish it was nothing more than an exaggeration," replied the man, "but not too long ago this village was indeed afflicted by an epidemic carried by the winds from that mountain." Ren looked up to where he was indicating, quickly recognizing the former dragon's nest. "You see the corpse of a dragon slain by the Sword Hero had been left there as proof of his achievement. But as it rotted and decayed, the physiology of the mountain changed and bore several poisonous monsters while also producing something of a toxic miasma that caused much of the village to fall sick. It was the worst I'd ever seen since I opened the village clinic."

"You run the village clinic?" Said a somewhat surprised Ren.

"Indeed," replied the now named Village Doctor, "and it was filled to the brim at the time. That graveyard over there is where we had to bury the ones who passed away due to the illness inflicted upon the village. It was only after the Savior of the Heavenly Fowl came and disposed of the dragon's remains that we were able to finally be rid of the epidemic."

"Savior of the Heavenly Fowl," repeated Ren, "Isn't that just an alias the Shield Hero went under?"

"Indeed it was," replied the Village Doctor, "And if what I've heard recently is correct, he's been cleared of all charges. A good thing too in my opinion. He wasn't the most pleasant person I've ever met but he seemed the responsible sort. I can only hope the Sword Hero learns to be just as responsible."

"How do you mean," said Ren as he bit back a hint of anger at the man's words.

"Well I can't necessarily blame him for not knowing the dragon's corpse would cause an epidemic by just being left there," explained the Village Doctor, "But it does make me wonder if he approaches some of his other heroic duties haphazardly and-oh, are you leaving now?"

"I've seen what I wanted to see," Ren replied without looking back, "and the next you hear of the Sword Hero, it will be about him claiming victory." This statement only served to confuse the Village Doctor further but Ren was no longer focused on him as he made his way back through the village gates and towards the area where his party members were. But before he reached them, one of the Queen's shadows appeared.

"A moment of your time Sir Hero," said the masked woman as she appeared from behind one of the trees.

"What is it," questioned Ren in annoyance, "I'm somewhat busy at the moment."

"I bring word from her highness, the Queen of Melromarc," replied the Shadow, "she wishes for you to attend a party this evening."

"It sounds like a waste of time," said Ren as he turned to leave.

"Her highness also has some information she wishes to share with the heroes specifically," added the Shadow, halting the Sword Hero in midturn, "I don't know the details myself but I am told what she has to say will be a great boon for you. I would suggest at least showing up for that much."

"Fine," said Ren, "I'll be there but it had better be worth my time."

"I doubt you'll be disappointed," said the Shadow, "her highness never sends us to give out simple party invitations without good reason. In the meantime, I bid you farewell Sir Hero." The Shadow disappeared back into the forest as Ren turned and kept walking. 'I won't be tripped up so easily next time,' he thought.

Castle Town: The Morning after the Five Hero's Council

"Unbelievable," grumbled Bitch through her still throbbing jaw as she and her other two party members waited outside of a flower shop for the Spear Hero, "What sort of man allows this type of damage to happen to a woman's face?"

"Honestly you should count yourself lucky," said her friend, the pink-haired girl with a braid, "the alternative to a permanent name change and a brutal beating was decapitation."

"We should all count ourselves lucky," added the party's magic user, "the two of us were doing hard labor in the castle's prison along with that guard captain. Our sentence was going to be a week for every day those girls we sent off spent as slaves. Something the Armory and Shield Hero suggested. This was our only other alternative and only because the Spear Hero begged the Queen for any party members she could find. We were all she could come up with."

"But we still have these bothersome crests blemishing our skin," sneered Slut, "and now I can't take any direct actions that will harm that devil and his right hand or even insult those filthy demi-aaaaah!" A quick jolt quieted the former princess as Motoyasu finally emerged from the flower shop with bouquets for each of his 'new' party members.

"Sorry that took so long," said the Spear Hero as he handed the flowers off to each of them, "they got the order mixed up or something. Anyway, we need to get moving if we're gonna beat Naofumi and Darius to the ship."

"I quite agree," said Bitch in her feigned sweet voice, only avoiding being electrocuted because she was still basically telling the truth, "maybe if we're lucky we can even set sail ahead of them and reach the island first. The less we see of them the be-." The former royal wrinkled her nose as she noticed that something smelled rather, atrocious. Looking down she discovered the source, the bouquets. "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?!"

The three girls quickly dropped the flowers just in time as noxious green fumes shot out of a strange red flower that had been hidden among the others. "These are red haze flowers," realized the magic user, "those shopkeepers were trying to make us sick."

"Hey what are you trying to pu-OW!" A flower pot connected with the Spear Hero's face, causing him to stagger and fall over as the shopkeeper and his helper looked on in slight embarrassment.

"That one was meant for the Bitch, sorry," he apologized, "but it goes without saying don't ever come here again if you're buying for those three harlots."

"Hey where do you get off with-huh?" The pink-haired party member's sentence was interrupted by some fish 'accidentally' falling off of a passing cart onto her head.

"Sorry, didn't have that basket as secure as I thought," called the cart driver before pulling around the corner.

"Oh the nerve of these people," spat the pink-haired girl.

"I think it might be best if we got out of here before-SPLAT." The mage's sentence was also interrupted, in this case by a tomato as the vendors, stall owners and shop keepers weren't even trying anymore to hide their displeasure at the three criminals walking down the street.

"Oh what do they know, let's get out of here," grumbled Motoyasu as they continued down the street while attempting to ignore the occasional whisper that just happened to be loud enough for them to hear and the bits and pieces of rotten food thrown their way. It all came to a head when a ball came flying out of nowhere and nailed Bitch right in her already injured face.

"Oh that does it, who dares to damage my face further!" Yelled Slut as she looked around for the source of the projectile and located a couple of laughing kids. "Get back here you little vermin!"

"Wait Myne we can't just attack children in broad daylight," pleaded the Spear Hero as he and his other two party members ran around the corner after the former royal, only to stop when they realized it was a trap. At the end of the alley was a wagon filled with monster balloons of all colors and every one of their angry little eyes was currently pointed at the group.

"This one's for infesting our village with vines Bitch," said the oldest kid, a brown-haired youth as he smiled and pulled the pin out of the lock on the wagon. Immediately, all of the balloons burst out and raced towards the Spear Hero and his party, their angry mouths chomping the whole way.

"Oh not monster balloons again, run!" Exclaimed Motoyasu, likely remembering the pain they inflicted on him during his duel with Naofumi as the party turned and beat a hasty retreat out of the alleyway. It was unfortunately not hasty enough as some of the balloons managed to grab a hold of them while the rest continued to chase the group down the street. It would go down as the fastest exit they'd ever made from Castle Town as well as the messiest. From that day onward, the party of the Spear Hero would be forced to sneak around with their identities concealed if they wanted to avoid scorn, much like a couple of certain heroes once did. As the saying goes: Karma's a Bitch.

**Ah, the ironies of life. The three heroes have gone from being celebrated champions to being as useless as they once claimed the Shield Hero to be. But now, a quick question for all of you: what should the next prompt, if any, be for the next little side story? Should we even have another side story? And would it be a good idea to move all of the side stories into a separate story once the actual story picks up again? Leave your thoughts in your comments and reviews as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. See you all next time.**


	33. Side Story: The Hero's Double Date

**Side Story: The Hero's Double Date**

**Hello everyone and Happy Valentine's Day! Now I wish I could say releasing this chapter today was planned but it was more along the lines of life just happens sometimes. Also, a shout out to Starlord Master for the suggestion on this week's chapter. Now first thing's first, onto the guest reviews: DCDGojira: Still debating on that myself. It'd be funny as all get out but the question is where to throw it in. curioustomjerry: Worry not for we shall at last get at least a small glimpse of his fate. Now, onto the story! **

Near a Riverside Town

"How are you guys holding up over there?" Asked Darius as he dodged to the left of his rolling adversary. The creature unfurled itself to reveal a large iguana-like monster that was twice the length of an average person if you included the tail. It also had rows of sharp teeth and three rows of spines instead of just one, all of which were as lethal as blades. The common name for them, according to his HUD, were Pit Rollers. A simple name for a monster that wasn't so simple to fight.

The Roller snarled at the hero as it balled itself up and charged again. 'Guess now's as good a time as any to try this new one out,' thought Darius as he switched from the whirlwind Warhammer to one whose head looked like a twisted spike. Just as the monster's body was about to connect, the cardinal hero sidestepped to the right and slammed the hammer into its side, releasing a flash of light which sent the Pit Roller into some nearby trees. The Armory Hero took his opening as the stunned monster tried to get up, only to have its head smashed in right before it could roll away.

Darius took a breath then as he turned to look towards the rest of his party, noting they hadn't answered back yet. "Guys are you-oh."

"We're fine over here," replied the weasel girl as she smacked away one, then another Pit Roller with her mace. The less lucky one was picked up by Johann before it could recover and pulled into the air where it got roasted by a spout of blue flames. Rifana, meanwhile, had chanted a quick spell which caused fire to encircle her mace. But this wasn't her usual flaming mace attack. "Zweit burning land!"

She slammed her weapon on the ground then, releasing a wave of fire that raced towards the Pit Roller as it was getting to its feet, frying its soft underbelly. Johann made sure it was dead by dropping the corpse of its comrade right on top of it before landing by his party. "Was that all of them," asked the transformed dragon boy as he looked around.

"The town said at least a dozen," Darius reminded his mount, "so those last three were actually extras."

"Good thing they didn't show up until after we destroyed the nest," remarked Rifana, "It took us at least a few hours just to find it and the dozen Pit Rollers the townspeople told us about. Oh well, extra pay is extra pay."

"All I want to know is can I eat any of these?" Questioned Johann as he eyed one of the burnt corpses, "because these two smell pretty good right about now." The sound of all of their stomachs growling made it known that everyone was actually a bit hungry.

"I guess that means we'd best call it a day for the leveling and get some lunch," said Darius as he opened up his communications window. "Hey Naofumi, did you find all of the monsters you were looking for on your side?"

"Raphtalia and Filo are finishing off the last of them now," replied the Shield Hero, "I take it your party is done over there?"

"Just took out an extra batch," replied Darius, "anyway, Rifana and Johann are starving and I imagine at least Filo is hungry over there."

"She's always hungry," remarked the Shield Hero, "but I take it you have a place you want to meet to go over things."

"If you mean I know a place we can eat, well, there was that one spot we passed halfway to the center of this little town," said Darius.

"You mean that funky establishment frequented by adventurers?" Questioned Naofumi.

"That's the one," confirmed Darius, "do you or anyone else in your party have an objection to that?"

"Well you know how it goes," said Naofumi, "Raphtalia will say she doesn't care whether she gets a break or not but if I mention food then-."

"FOOOOOOOD!" Darius almost had to cover his ears as the hyperactive Filolial jumped into view while Johann, now in his human, also popped into view on Naofumi's screen, "are we really going to get food now Master!"

"Yeah we are," said Johann, "the Boss won't say it but his stomach's been growling like everyone else's."

"I guess we have too now," said Naofumi, "We don't need grumpy mounts when we get back to the village."

"I hear that," remarked the Armory Hero as he habitually dropped some of the monster material he'd picked up from the corpses into the jewels on his bands, "I guess we'll see you back at the town. Just try not to keep Johann waiting."

"I'll beat that dragon there Master, you'll see!" exclaimed Filo as she transformed and grabbed Naofumi before tossing him onto her back. The communication shut off then as the Shield Hero more than likely needed to hold on tight. This also held true for Rifana and the Armory Hero as they hopped aboard Johann and headed back towards the town.

Restaurant Nekoya: In the Town by the River

"And I saw I got here first," said Filo between mouthfuls of food.

"But I landed in front of the door so that technically means I got here first," replied Johann as he tore, almost literally, into his own plate of food. The two had amazingly been carrying this argument on for the last several minutes without even looking at each other as they scarfed down their food.

"And here I thought teaching them to use utensils would help them eat a little slower," commented Darius as he took a bite of his own food.

"Well for once I can't say I blame them," commented Rifana as she pulled the shells off some of the fresh crustaceans that were said to be caught fresh in the town's river, "this place has got some pretty exotic cuisine in comparison to a lot of the other places we've been too." And given the restaurant's customers it was hardly surprising. Not only were there both humans and demi-humans present but even beast men and women that were even more animalistic such as the tiger-like Hakuko or the dog-like Nui. It certainly lent to the town's reputation of catering to all adventurers and its location by a major river for both trade and travel meant there was always a diverse mix of people coming through.

"Exotic and a little pricey," noted Naofumi as he remembered what some of the menu items cost, "Just this meal right here is gonna eat up almost a sixth of our payday."

"We may be able to offset some of that by selling a few more products from the wagon," suggested Raphtalia, "I hear healing and stamina potions are in high demand around this area."

"Well we can't hang around here for much longer than we already have," reminded Darius, "Reichnott, Figneria and the others are holding down the fort right now but they've got stuff they need to get to."

"And I think we should all just relax a little and enjoy the meal while it lasts," said Rifana as she popped a few of the crustaceans in her mouth, "honestly we've been running ourselves all over the place recently and if we're not careful we'll crash and burn."

"We're preparing for the next wave on top of running a village right now," said Naofumi, "that doesn't really leave a lot of room for taking it easy."

"All the more reason then," said Darius as he took a swig of his beverage, "and Rifana is right. We've been working our tails off almost as soon as we got back from Cal Mira, a vacation that was interrupted I might add, to get things in order. Come to think of it, the closest thing you've had to a break that doesn't involve eating, sleeping or traveling in the wagon was the lunch you had with Raphtalia. How'd that go by the way?"

"Oh that, well," Naofumi said sheepishly, "I guess you could say it went okay."

"It was relatively peaceful at the time," added Raphtalia with a blush coming to her face, "I honestly would like-."

"Sir Heroes," said one of the Queen's shadows as she seemed to appear practically out of nowhere like always, "the Queen would like to speak with the two of you. It concerns future preparations for the waves and involves a few of the questions you had for her."

"And there goes our peaceful lunch hour," commented Johann as he shoved the last bit of food on his plate into his mouth.

Castle of the Queen of Melromarc: A Short Time Later

As had become something of a common practice over the last few days, the two parties used the teleport skill to warp into the castle and were a bit surprised at what they saw this time around. "Hey check it out," quipped Darius as he indicated a certain someone right next to the Queen's throne, "it's some of that art made out of Trash."

"Y-you d-dare to speak t-to," Trash tried to get out as he stood frozen in a block of ice similar to the one the Queen had put him in during the trial. Given the way he was shivering the former royal had been in there for a while.

"Ah yes, thank you both for coming," said the Queen, "Don't mind Trash here. He is simply serving more of his sentence. In this instance, I am punishing him for betraying me and once I've decided he's stayed long enough I'll send him back to his cell."

"Guess you're having to punish quite a few people lately with the dissolving of an entire heretical church," remarked Naofumi.

"It's been sentencing of large group after large group," said the Queen, "I've had the major conspirators, including the bishop, executed. Their accomplices imprisoned and doing hard labor for what will possibly be the rest of their natural lives while also revoking the status and fortunes of several of the Church's supporting nobles which we'll be putting towards the waves. Depending on their crimes I've had everything done from banishment to several years of imprisonment. And for those who opposed the two of you but have agreed to share information regarding their other brethren I've had them lashed according to the number of crimes they committed."

"I guess the saying right now is so many punishments and so little time," offered the Armory Hero.

"I'll bet the thing that hurts the most is having us all here conversing peacefully with you," said Rifana.

"Indeed," said the Queen as she held her fan in front of her mouth in her usual manner, "though much of what I have to say is for the Shield and Armory Heroes. The rest of you may explore the castle if you so choose."

"Oh, can we go play with Melty?!" Questioned Filo excitedly with her hand raised in the air.

"Just so long as you don't cause any trouble," said Naofumi with a shrug. Johann looked up with a hopeful expression at Darius, the same question obviously on his mind.

"Rifana," said Darius, "why don't you and Raphtalia help these two find Melty real fast. We don't need them getting lost in the castle."

"YAAAAAAAAY!" Cheered the two mounts as they ran off towards the throne room doors. Rifana simply sighed as she and Raphtalia followed after them at a slower pace.

"So," said Darius as he and Naofumi turned their attention back to the ruler of Melromarc, "what'd you need us up here for?"

"To begin with," said the Queen, "Melty has already finished the list you both requested of prospective trainers. Though there has been some difficulty in locating a couple of them."

"Will any of them be available any time soon," Questioned the Shield Hero.

"Within a few days' time is the best estimate I can give at the moment I'm afraid," said the Queen.

"Well I guess it can't be helped," said Darius, "the hard part's gonna be convincing a few certain other people to go along with the criteria once we got this all worked out."

"Indeed," said the Queen, "but rest assured we have gathered all the other requested materials, so you won't lack for anything once the new training regimen is underway."

"Good," said Naofumi, "but I get the feeling there's another reason you called us up here."

"There is, actually," replied the Queen, "you mentioned all but one of the otherworldly heroes you fought used something called vassal weapons."

"That was the title I got from my weapon analysis," said Darius, "does this mean the scholars you had researching them found something."

"It's more correct to say we found some similarities between these so-called vassal weapons and some weapons from this world," answered Mirellia, "Here's what we know so far."

Outside of Melty's Room: At about the Same Time

"And then once Rifana was done roasting that ball lizard I dropped its buddy right on top of him!" Explained Johann animatedly as he and Filo were happily recounting some of the events of the past few days Melty had missed.

"They really are a cute bunch when they want to be," observed Rifana as she and Raphtalia stood outside of the second princess's room.

"Yes they are aren't they," replied the raccoon girl somewhat absent-mindedly before her friend tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, is everything alright Raphtalia," asked Rifana, "because I can tell something is on your mind. Did Naofumi hurt your feelings on accident or something?"

"Oh no it's not like that," she replied while waving her hands in a pleading manner, "It's just, Darius mentioned my date with Master Naofumi and it made me think: You still haven't been on a proper date with Darius and I'm not sure I'd call my private lunch a date either. True, we got to spend some time with just each other which is what I wanted but, well, neither of us is especially romantic."

"Oh Raphtalia," said Rifana with a smile as she shook her head, "Did you really learn nothing from all our little talks about romance? Just the fact that you enjoy spending time together is already a step in the right direction, you just gotta give it a little time and feel it out. If you try to force it then things could get really awkward. Believe me, things were plenty awkward between me and Darius after our first night of passion and not just because we had a third person."

"I guess that does make sense," said Raphtalia with a finger to her chin, "It just seems so different from all the stories I know and I can't think of any good examples to follow except-wait. Rifana, isn't tomorrow the day off of teaching for the fishing crew?"

"If you could call it that," replied the Weasel girl, "we managed to get a big enough haul in the last couple of days that the plan for tomorrow is to focus on getting them all cleaned and the meat packed to send to the market, not really something they need us to teach them at this point."

"Well then I might have an idea," said Raphtalia as she whispered her plan in her friend's ear. If her animal ears perking up was any indication, Rifana was greatly intrigued by what she heard.

Outside the Doors of the Throne Room

"I really hope some of those details were exaggerated," said Naofumi as he and Darius walked out of the throne room with the doors closing behind them, "I mean most of it makes sense but to think Trash once held a title like that."

"I find it harder to believe he earned it by defeating the previous title holder," remarked the Armory Hero, "although a lot more stuff makes sense now that we know the previous Shield Hero beat his ass in a duel."

"But now we've got another objective we need to think about," said Naofumi, "fact of the matter is, no one seems to have a clue where-."

"Master Naofumi, Darius," said Raphtalia as she and Rifana approached the two heroes, "we were wondering something."

"Well our audience with the Queen is over," said Darius, "so ask away."

"Okay," said Rifana, "you know how we're both basically off teaching the fishing crew tomorrow because we got that huge haul that still needs to be cleaned and shipped out."

"That was pretty lucky," said Naofumi, "we're getting a better start on the fishing industry then even I expected."

"Well Rifana and I thought that, if possible, the four of us could all go to this little spot I know near the village tomorrow," suggested Raphtalia.

"Just the four of us," repeated Darius, "you mean like a double date?"

"Yep," said Rifana with a smile that said 'bingo', "we can all bring something to eat and make a picnic out of it!"

"I don't know," said Naofumi, "there's still a lot of work to do in terms of rebuilding the village and getting a competent fighting force prepared. And we can't get behind on our leveling. Not to mention-UFF!" The Shield Hero was silenced by a jab in the ribs as he turned his attention to the Armory Hero.

"Need I remind you that the plan for tomorrow was mainly hunting and drills," whispered Darius, "I've got to take Figneria and Rishia back to Koteraan this evening so that they can attend to a few royal matters. There's also the fact that you know Johann and Filo haven't seen Melty in a couple days and will probably want to spend the night with her so they can bring her to the village tomorrow morning."

"So what, you're saying we're gonna be at something of a standstill tomorrow?" Questioned Naofumi.

"I'm saying that the conditions for you to take a little bit of that time off we were talking about earlier are about as good as they're gonna get," explained Darius, "and we'll be near the village so if something does happen to come up we'll be able to lend a hand." The Shield Hero simply sighed as he turned back to the two girls.

"Tell you what," he said, "If Van can spare a little more time to run the village tomorrow then I suppose we can give it a shot."

"YEAH! Thank you Master Naofumi!" Cheered Rifana and Raphtalia as the Weasel girl gave Darius a quick hug and Raphtalia grabbed the Shield Hero's hand with a grateful look in her eyes. The Armory Hero happily returned the hug while Naofumi actually managed a small smile. 'I guess it might not be the worst idea,' thought the Shield Hero, 'we could definitely be wasting our time on more frivolous stuff.'

Koteraan: Private Bed Chambers of the Castle of Armorus, the Next Day

Darius let out a small groan as his eyes fluttered open. 'Well I made it through at least this night without one of those blasted dreams popping into my head,' he thought as he felt a stirring against his side.

"Did you sleep well Darius," purred Figneria as she lifted her head off of his chest.

"Hard not to sleep well when a beauty like you is next to me," replied the Armory Hero as he stroked his bed mate's back, "though I think it's pretty telling how exciting my former life was given that I'm still getting used to waking up next to a woman."

"You should know this is new for me in a way as well," said Figneria as she moved her head up next to his ear while continuing to press her body against him. "It used to be I only ever laid with a man for two reasons: to satisfy the occasional need for another warm body or because it was a way to get my knife to their throat. You have been the only man I've actually been happy to sleep with more than one time. So in a way, I'm also getting used to waking up next to a man or at least still being with one when the sun rises."

"Well with any luck," said Darius as he gave her a quick peck on the lips, "we'll both get used to living a life we enjoy." His former teacher smiled as she moved in to deliver a kiss of her own before the door was suddenly opened. The assassin/mercenary was on her feet in almost an instant with a knife held in her hands that the cardinal hero was certain hadn't been in her translucent purple nightgown.

"Who goes there?!" demanded Figneria as the surprised servant backed out of the room.

"Oh, my apologies Lady Figneria," said the servant as she bowed a few times, "I was sent to inform you that the expected nobles will apparently be arriving earlier than originally announced."

"I see," she said as she lowered the knife and hid it behind her back, "tell King Ivyred that I shall be there shortly. And do send out a reminder among all of the servants to knock and announce their presence first before entering my chambers or any room I'm known to frequent. The last thing I want is to accidentally hurt any of the castle staff."

"Of course, right away Lady Figneria," said the servant as they hurried along to do as instructed.

"You know I love the sight of a woman crouching protectively over me, especially with this view," commented Darius noting just how close her wonderful thighs were to his head, "but I think the threat has passed and you can let me up."

"Ah, my apologies," said Figneria as she slipped the dagger she had back out of sight and pulled Darius up to a sitting position next to her, "I have to keep my instincts a little sharper here given that I do run much of the castle guard."

"Do you often pull a weapon on the servants around here?" Questioned the Armory Hero, "Come to think of it, where were you even keeping that dagger?"

"I have daggers and other assorted weapons hidden in little places all over this castle and at your home," replied Figneria with something of a smirk before frowning slightly, "it is a habit of my old life that I've never been able to shake, just like going for a weapon when something startles me. Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"I wouldn't say uncomfortable," replied Darius, "heck it's more than necessary given that we're still fighting against opponents we know little about. I guess I just never noticed until now because you haven't really done this in the village."

"Rifana learned some time ago to knock when entering a room she knows I'm in," replied Figneria, "it was something I mentioned a time or two during our training sessions. As for you and Johann, well, the little dragon is plenty noisy so I always know where he is and you are polite enough to at least announce yourself. I suppose the best way to sum it up is that I feel much more at ease while I'm in your humble little village."

"Village slash headquarters slash war camp," added the Armory Hero as he got out of the bed, "and speaking of which, there was another beautiful girl I promised I'd meet there for a date in a few hours."

"Well I suppose I have hogged you long enough," said Figneria as she moved to the side of the bed and pulled Darius in for one more passionate kiss, "but I expect you to take me out on a proper date one of these days as well."

"I can only promise I'll do my best to seize an opportunity when it presents itself," replied the Armory Hero as he kissed her forehead, "until then we'll just have to enjoy the moments as they come. So for now, farewell my beautiful blade dancer."

"Be sure to think of me now and then today," Said Figneria with a smile, "and show Rifana a good time while you're at it."

At the Edge of Rurorona Village: About Lunch Time

As luck would have it, whatever engagement Van Reichnott needed to attend away from the village had been called off due to some apparent last minute issues the other party was having. This meant the kind nobleman had more than enough spare time to watch the village for another day. The news was well-received by the two demi-human girls and Darius while Naofumi was his usual grumpy self about it. Now here they stood, both waiting on their dates to show up and passing the time with the usual idle conversation.

"Was it really necessary to get dressed up for this?" Questioned Naofumi as he looked himself over.

"If you call wearing an almost identical outfit to the one you usually have on 'dressing up,'" Commented the Armory Hero. Truth be told he knew Naofumi would rather spend his money on armor than something he'd wear once in a blue moon, but at the same time he felt that the occasion was a bit lost on the cardinal hero. Because for whatever reason Naofumi had decided to wear basically his usual pants and boots with his black long-sleeved undershirt that was normally covered by his armor.

"You say that," replied Naofumi as he indicated the bent down collar on the shirt, "but this was actually a gift from the Tailor woman, you know the one that made Johann and Filo's outfits. Apparently Raphtalia and Rifana had mentioned our date and the moment she got a hold of me she made me try on a half dozen shirts before deciding on this."

"And besides the downturned collar, what's the main difference?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow.

"Apparently she made this out of some kind of special silk," replied Naofumi as he examined some of the material, "I guess it does feel a bit more comfortable than my usual stuff. What about yours?"

"Well," replied the Armory Hero as he thought how best to explain it. Unlike the other three, he'd gotten his outfit from Koteraan with Figneria's help. It consisted of a grey long-sleeved undershirt with a short-sleeved white shirt over it. He still wore black pants and brown boots but the colors were a bit brighter than his usual attire. "I kind of feel like I'm wearing one of Link's fancier tunics. Ya know, the protagonist from the Legend of Zelda series?"

"In my world we had something called the Legend of Ella," replied Naofumi as he thought back a bit, "did you go around collecting magic stones to get a time traveling sword and solve half the problems with a magical instrument in your game?"

"Pretty much," replied Darius before he noticed two very lovely ladies approaching them.

"Hey guys!" Called Rifana as she waved at the two of them, "sorry if we're a bit late. Getting these outfits on took a bit longer than expected."

"By my count you two are pretty much on time actually," noted Naofumi as he actually checked the hour on his HUD.

"And the wait was worth every minute if you ask me," added Darius as he got a look at the outfits the two had chosen. Rifana had opted for a dark yellow two piece outfit that included a short-sleeved shirt with somewhat bunched up shoulders and a v-neck opening, plus a skirt that hung down to her knees, allowing her plenty of room to move her tail around. Her look was completed with a pair of sandals which sported straps that crisscrossed up to her knees.

"Well this look isn't my favorite if I'm being honest," said Rifana as she did a quick twirl to give Darius a full view of the outfit, "but the Tailor wouldn't stop badgering us, though if you really like it I suppose it's worth the slight discomfort."

"It does look good on you," replied the Armory Hero truthfully, "but you know I'd never ask you to do something that makes you uncomfortable without good reason."

"Oh I know, but maybe it's a little better this way, after all," said Rifana as she leaned in to whisper in his ear, "If it gets too uncomfortable you can always help me out of it."

"Well I am always happy to lend a hand," Darius whispered back with a slight smirk. Rifana giggled at that before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"And what do you think of my outfit?" Questioned Raphtalia in her usual hopeful tone she always adopts when trying to get Naofumi to notice her. In contrast to Rifana, the raccoon girl had opted for a red one piece outfit with yellowish-white sleeves that went to her elbows and a skirt that went to just above her knees. A pair of knee-length boots with cut outs for her toes completed her look. In the Armory Hero's opinion, it seemed like a classier version of her usual outfit.

"It uh, suits you, I guess," said Naofumi as he rubbed the back of his head. "So, where's this little spot you mentioned?"

"Oh, right this way," said Raphtalia happily as she picked up the basket they'd brought and took Naofumi's hand before leading him off towards the forest. Darius took Rifana's hand as they followed after the pair, quickly noting how red-faced the two were.

"I really hope this was a good idea," Rifana whispered to Darius, "I'm still kinda worried the attraction is one-sided."

"I know he doesn't say it much," replied Darius, "but Naofumi trusts Raphtalia with his life and given how hard it still seems to be for him to trust anyone I'd like to think that says at least something. Besides, they both deserve a shot at being happy even if there's the possibility of it going wrong."

"That's true I guess," admitted Rifana, "Mother did always tell me that one risks getting their heart broken if they put it out there. But it's worth the pain if you find happiness in the end."

"I do agree with the last part of that saying," remarked Darius as the group continued to follow a small path through the forest until they reached a clearing with a rather nice view of surrounding area beneath it.

"Well that's something," noted Naofumi with a low whistle, "you can see the ocean and the village in an equal view from up here."

"Rifana and I stumbled upon this place one day when we got lost while playing in the woods," explained Raphtalia, "we were both a bit scared at the time that we might be lost after nightfall. But once we saw this and realized night was still a little ways off we were relieved. From that day on we decided this place would serve as something of a secret spot for when we wanted to be alone with our thoughts."

"Or a secret rendezvous like the ones in those little drama stories," added Rifana as she pulled a blanket out of the basket she and Raphtalia had brought, "now we'd best get set up, this is a picnic date after all." Everyone nodded in agreement as they grabbed an end and spread it out on a nearby flat spot before settling girls then proceeded to exchange their basket for the one brought by the boys as they all sat down and pulled out the food.

"Ya know," said Darius as he took a bite of one of the sandwiches Rifana had prepared, "I don't think I've said often enough how much I appreciate you helping me cook all those times we camped out."

"I was usually the one helping mother in the kitchen," said Rifana as she took a bite of one of their prepared sandwiches, "So I picked up a few things. Though your own cooking skills have improved drastically ever since you started learning from Naofumi."

"Most of that is because I copied the shields he uses to enhance ingredients," replied Darius, "but the majority of this meal is from Naofumi anyway, I just helped get the ingredients prepared."

"Well you both did a splendid job in my opinion," praised Raphtalia with a smile, "and what do you think of the food we made Master Naofumi?"

"It's," the Shield Hero actually struggled to find the words to describe the taste, or rather the fact that he could actually taste it. "It tastes good, there's an actual flavor in this sandwich."

"You know I always wondered at the irony that our best cook can't taste anything," commented The Armory Hero, "but then again Beethoven kept working with music even after he went deaf so what do I know."

"I can taste some things," replied the Shield Hero, "those Lucor fruits on Cal Mira were pretty good."

"They aren't meant to be eaten though," Rifana pointed out, "any other person would be on the floor after just one or two of those, so I'm pretty sure Raphtalia didn't put any in your sandwich."

"I just used some fresh ingredients," said the Raccoon girl, "and a couple of seasonings that Keel tested out. Otherwise I didn't do anything special while preparing it."

"Now that is curious," said Darius as he pulled off an uneaten part of his sandwich, "care to give this a try? Rifana should've used about the same recipe."

"Is this a tasting now?" Questioned the Shield Hero with a raised eyebrow, "and here I thought we were on a double date."

"Just humor me on this, I've got a theory I want to test out," Urged Darius, "If I'm right, it just might make life a little better."

"I'm not sure what me eating your food is gonna tell anyone," said Naofumi as he took the offered piece and tossed it in his mouth. After a moment of chewing he noticed something was, possibly off about the flavor.

"Well, how does it taste?" Asked the Armory Hero as the trio observed the cardinal hero.

"I," Naofumi thought about how best to answer, "I can't really taste much of anything."

"Now try the sandwich Raphtalia made again," suggested Darius, his conclusion already more than half-formed on the matter. The Shield Hero simply shrugged and did as requested. His reaction to it was markedly different from when he'd tried the one made by Rifana.

"I can taste it, and it's good," said Naofumi, "just like the time after my duel with Motoyasu. You said you threw together some stuff from the castle kitchen that night after we left the arena."

"It was just a little something for the road," admitted Raphtalia, "I thought you might be hungry given that you never really ate anything before then."

"I was a little actually," said Naofumi, "but what does this mean? Why can I only taste what you make or those fruits?"

"If I had to guess," Surmised the Armory Hero, "it's all in your head in a manner of speaking."

"Could you be a bit more specific than that," said Naofumi, "you and I have both had enough voices in our heads to almost be considered crazy at this point."

"Well think about how you felt, and sorry in advance for bringing this up, when you left the castle in disgrace and didn't want to trust anyone anymore," began Darius, "from what little I got talking to Erhard you were like a completely different person from the day before. Well I've heard stories of people believing they had some kind of ailment or lost the ability to use a limb to one degree or another because of psychological trauma. There'd be nothing wrong with them physically but the damage to their psyche would have them believe they were suffering from something."

"That still doesn't explain why I can taste Raphtalia's meals but no one else's," Naofumi pointed out.

"Do you trust her?" Questioned the Armory Hero with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I trust her," defended Naofumi, "I have to trust her."

"Putting aside her job and the slave crest," said Darius, "do you trust Raphtalia with your life? Do you believe she'd ever betray your trust?"

"Well I-," this time it wasn't so easy for the Shield Hero to answer. Thinking back, she'd never given him reason to doubt her before. She'd been right about Darius and Rifana and had put her life on the line for him countless times. More than that, she'd willingly let herself be rebranded as his slave. He glanced at Darius and Rifana, noting how comfortable the two seemed as they freely shared their personal space. Then he looked over at his companion who had a hopeful look in her eyes, her beautiful tea-leaf colored eyes.

"I know I can trust her," he said as he lightly patted Raphtalia's head, "and I can't think of anyone else in this world I trust more."

"Oh Master Naofumi!" exclaimed Raphtalia as she moved in and hugged his waist while burying her head in his chest. "That's possibly the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!"

"Uh, yeah," said a surprised Shield Hero, apparently not expecting this reaction, "but it's true, I really do trust you. Which might be why I can taste the food you make."

"And you can probably taste those berries because they're like eating straight up bleach or alcohol as far as the taste goes," commented Darius, "super strong flavor."

"I think we should just let Raphtalia prepare Naofumi's meals from now on," said Rifana as she snuggled against her boyfriend, "it'll be a lot safer than letting him bring those fruit in."

"That, actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," said the Shield Hero as he stroked his companion's head, "though since we've spent all this time addressing my issues it's only fair that I get to ask a personal question or two of my own."

"Shoot, I don't think we'll be going anywhere for a bit," said Darius as he rubbed one of Rifana's weasel ears. The girl was on the verge of falling asleep in his lap, or at the very least she wasn't moving from her spot as long as he kept up scratching her ears. Plus, it just seemed too soon to make Raphtalia let go of her hero after hearing his declaration.

"Alright then," said Naofumi, "how is it that you're able to trust anyone given that you're from a police state? Or are those drones the only thing you really have to worry about back in your world?" Darius sighed at the question. 'I guess I should've figured this would come up eventually,' he thought.

"Truthfully," said Darius, "when I first came here I kind of thought like the other three heroes: 'This is a game.' It stopped being that when I found some tortured children in cells under a mansion. Afterwards I looked at it as a job and an obligation, something that needed to be done if I was going to make it back home. The leading thought on my mind then was that since we were growing stronger every day, if someone did betray me or the rest of us I'd simply kill them and move on."

"I guess you would be capable of doing that," noted Naofumi as he remembered that his friend had a lot more attack power than him and plenty of ways to apply it.

"Back in my world we were all careful not to rub anyone the wrong way," continued Darius, "learning to read people was a must to avoid the possibility of pissing off the cousin of some cop who could have the drones monitor you more closely or pull a charge out of their ass. But those drones, the only thing you could read about them were their patterns. You never quite knew what they'd be looking for that day given that the rules for them seemed to be changing all the time. Sure we're being monitored here but it's actual people doing the monitoring and we know they can't summon a cavalry from around the corner like the drones could in my world."

"Makes me wonder why you left the house that day for an anime con," said Naofumi.

"I only ever left the house when I needed too, as did a lot of us," said Darius, "anime, manga, comic books and video games became a haven for me and many others to escape our own depressing reality, so much so that it just seemed worth the risk to go see some of the people behind it all. As you can see that decision has turned out swimmingly so far."

"You don't look like you're complaining too much about it," commented Naofumi.

"I'll admit it we've had to put up with some shit," replied Darius, "I never even tried keeping count of how many times we've almost died because I knew I'd lose track pretty quickly. Then there's all these responsibilities we have heaped on us or that we've taken on thanks to these weapons that were forcibly attached to us. But you know in spite of all that and all the reasons I have to hate this world, I can't bring myself to leave it now. Guess that's just how it goes when you discover something worth fighting for."

"Mm, I love you too," purred Rifana from her spot next to Darius as she snuggled closer to him. The cardinal hero could only smile as he brushed some of her hair out of her face. All the while Naofumi looked on in contemplation as he glanced down at his own companion who was breathing softly next to him. Her arms were holding onto him almost protectively, as if she was worried he might get lost if she let go.

"Something worth fighting for," he quietly repeated to himself. It was close to sundown by the time the group returned from the picnic and whatever atmosphere of tension they'd had before was almost completely gone as the two girls walked arm in arm with their respective heroes back into the village. It was quickly declared from that day on that Raphtalia would be the primary cook for the Shield Hero, a job she took too with great enthusiasm. It was also declared by Rifana that their picnic spot would remain between the four of them. After all, even heroes and adventurers needed to get away every now and then.

**And there we have it, a cute little chapter for everyone's favorite couple's day! And before I forget, a quick shout out to Perseus12 about the inclusion of Nekoya, which you all know as the Restaurant in Another World to help set the story on it's way. As always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters or suggestions for short stories. For those wondering, the next chapter might be one focused on Fitoria unless you all demand something different. If so, just say the word. 'Til then. **


	34. Side Story: Musings of the Winged Queen

**Side Story: Musings of the Winged Queen**

**Hello everyone and welcome to our latest little snippet, this time focusing on everyone's favorite avian ruler! Since we've got no actual guest review questions the only other thing I have to say is, onto the story!**

Filolial Sanctuary: Nighttime Shortly After the First Wave

'So the waves have begun again,' mused Fitoria as she sat on top of one of her favorite structures within the ruins, a smaller building originally used for prayer or possibly offerings by the lake. 'The nations of the world will be forced to summon the four cardinal heroes once more in order to combat them.' It was actually quite ironic to the Filolial Queen given that not long ago the nations had been at war, only recently gaining some semblance of peace for about a decade, which was almost like a few months to one who had lived for centuries. Now their ability to cooperate would be put to the test by the waves of catastrophe.

Not that the fate of the other countries and their people mattered all that much to Fitoria, she had her own little Queendom that needed to be looked after. The only real reason she had for keeping an eye on the state of the world, or at least the only one that mattered enough to her, was the promise she'd made to the hero who raised her to protect it. "Come to think of it," she mused aloud, "the state of the world now might be worse than when I was born. At least in some places." Yes, the world she'd been born into was something of a chaotic one with a fair bit of public opinion actually against the four cardinal heroes.

But a couple of small nations combined their resources and attempted to summon them anyway. For whatever reason, though, a fifth hero was summoned along with them and he claimed to come from the very ruins in which she currently sat. It had been an interesting situation as those who had been aware of the fifth hero's existence stepped forward while others claimed he was a false hero. She didn't remember most of the arguments that took place among the nations, politics was boring to her then and even with a better understanding now she still paid little attention to it.

What she did remember was that she'd liked the fifth hero. He'd made fast friends with the hero who raised her at the time, whoever that had been, and despite all of the controversy that surrounded his appearance he never let it distract him from his task of fending off the waves with the other heroes. Obviously there had been ups and downs during those times, many of which she'd forgotten, but it had been an adventure all the same. Nowadays, though, the world seemed like it had it out for the Shield Hero. She had even heard of a new religion being started some years ago that denounced him and all demi-humans while praising the other three as true heroes or even deities.

It was utter garbage to anyone who actually gave it proper thought and, as far as someone as old as Fitoria was concerned, nothing new. What was slightly surprising was the current king of Melromarc, where the Three Hero's Church apparently originated to one degree or another, had made it the state religion. Though that wasn't half as concerning as what she'd heard about some of the other protectors of the world, or to be more precise, what she hadn't been hearing. One of her family, a blue Filolial, had actually just arrived to deliver news on that exact topic.

"Have you managed to find any clues as to the whereabouts of the other weapon holders?" Questioned Fitoria as she turned her gaze from the stars to the large bird. Her response was a number of squeaks and grunts which brought a frown to her usually neutral face. "I see," Fitoria sighed, "we'll just have to keep looking. Strong as the four heroes are they will need as much help as they can get to battle the waves. For now, go and rest with the others."

Her family member gave one last chirp before turning and heading off as the Filolial Queen returned her gaze to the stars above. 'The situation is worse than I thought,' she mused, 'but as long as the countries act in accordance with the usual rules and each summon a hero to defend it, then the world should at least be relatively defen-.' Fitoria stiffened as she sensed a powerful magic energy originating near the center of the ruins. 'Teleportation, no, that's summoning magic coming from, the temple of the Armory Hero!'

The Filolial Queen shot up from her perch into the air as she changed form into a massive bird that towered over several of the ruins. 'Only someone especially powerful could've located this place to begin with, and given that I've cast my Filolial sanctuary to prevent others from teleporting in, they must be using some other type of strange magic or ability.' She stomped over to the entrance of the fifth hero's temple and waited for her foe to appear. It was a few minutes later that the seal she placed on the temple entrance deactivated and the intruder stepped out. Even despite her short Filolial memory, she would look back fondly on the words he spoke next: "Oh you have got to be kidding me!"

A Couple Days Later

'The new Armory Hero's potential is, debatable,' thought Fitoria as she continued to observe the progress of the one she now knew as 'Darius Saxon.' Like many of the ones she'd met from other worlds, he had knowledge about strange and foreign concepts, mainly involving stories or games. In fact, like many of the heroes from other worlds, he described himself as a geek, Otaku or weeb and would often compare the powers he was wielding to characters the Filolial Queen had never heard of, to her memory. But one thing that always stood out about the Armory Hero, and Darius was no exception, was the fact that they were not usually of the same race of people as the other four cardinal heroes. It was her understanding that many Otaku hailed from a land known as Japan, but Darius came from an apparently large continent known as America. The country had many of the same stories as Japan, or at least they somehow managed to cross the ocean to get there, while also having a number of unique stories that were nothing like the ones from Japan.

Currently, he was dual-wielding short swords against multiple balloons or, as he described it, attempting to go 'Inosuke' on them. For whatever reason he was a little disappointed to find out he was currently prevented from dual wielding long swords by his bands. 'I'll need to make sure he realizes as early as possible: being a cardinal hero isn't something you play around at.' Though it would still pain her heart more than a little to dispel his naivete, it had to be done if he was to survive.

Final Day of Training Week

The Filolial Queen had to admit she was, not impressed, but still rather pleased with Darius's progress as she nimbly dodged out of the way of his newly acquired chains. Though she'd never said it out loud, mostly to keep him from getting cocky, he'd definitely improved from the flailing around he'd done only a few days prior. Even now he was using his chains to corral her and restrict her movements, not that it was really working against someone who'd had loads of time to work on their speed and evasion. 'Perhaps you are not so hopeless after all, Darius Saxon,' she thought as an old memory suddenly came to the surface of her mind.

Flashback: Centuries Ago

"Wow," said the Shield Hero of that time as he struggled to move against the chains that were currently binding him, "you weren't kidding when you said these things could hold down beasts."

"They're the closest thing I have to a primary weapon," said the previous Armory Hero as he released his comrade from the bindings, "but I hope you're at least somewhat convinced now that I can handle myself even if I lack some of the other conveniences that you and the rest of the cardinal heroes have."

"Well you've certainly proven you've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve," said the former Shield Hero, "but as a defense focused guy I'm not the best judge of someone's attack prowess in battle. The ones you really need to convince are the other three, and Fitoria over there." Said Filolial girl was currently sitting on a wall where she'd been watching the whole exchange.

"Well the other three aren't here right now, but what did you think of my little performance?" Asked the previous Armory Hero, "Good, bad, was I flailing around too much?"

"You did alright I suppose," replied Fitoria with a shrug, "but I do have one question: how much food can you store in that dimensional inventory of yours?"

"Oh that," said the cardinal hero as he produced a portal and pulled out a small basket of berries, "Still hard to say given this thing increases in storage capacity every few levels or so. But I can store baskets of food, large cooking pots, ingredients, as well as drinks that come in bottles or skins."

"Can you store crates of food?" Questioned Fitoria with slight curiosity.

"Weirdly, no," replied the former Armory Hero, "for whatever reason I'm restricted against storing crates or chests of anything. Guess it has something to do with where it all goes in the first place or maybe it only applies to stuff one could normally carry on their own. But, what I store in my inventory remains free of rust, dirt, mold and food doesn't spoil, or at least it hasn't so far." This got the Filolial Queen's attention as she hopped off of the wall and approached the supposed cardinal hero. She quickly plucked one of the berries from the basket he was holding and popped it into her mouth.

Surprisingly, his statement about them remaining relatively fresh was actually true. "Alright," said Fitoria as she turned to the former Shield Hero, "I'm fine with him coming along, on the condition that he agrees to have at least some food in his inventory at all times. In fact as a Filolial Queen it is my royal decree that the Armory Hero, as he calls himself, shall set aside a portion of his inventory with snacks that I can eat whenever I want."

"You know Filolial Queen is just a title for classification right?" The former Shield Hero pointed out, "you don't have actual royal authority."

"Like you'd know," said Fitoria, "there is a Filolial Queen that rules over all Filolials, and every now and then they must be replaced by a new one when their life reaches its end. Who knows, I could be a candidate for the next queen."

"Then I shall set aside a portion as her highness, the chocobo queen, demands," said the former Armory Hero with a bow as he held out the basket.

"I'm certain you're mocking me," said Fitoria as she ate another one of the berries, "but for now I shall be merciful and accept your offering of berries Sir Hero." That day had been the beginning of a wonderful adventure for them all.

End Flashback

'He proved he was more than capable of being a hero,' thought Fitoria, 'but even he was able to fall in battle. And now I must send another one out into the world.' It was then she decided to have a special dinner prepared for him, so that he could leave on a good note with her. 'I have to send him out on his own, he has to see the world for what it is and learn to survive without me guiding him.'

She also couldn't afford to get too attached to him in the event that she had to take more drastic measures to insure the safety of the world. At least, that had been the plan. But more and more of her old memories had come flooding back over the last week, and the moment dinner was about to end, she broke down. That night she had spent with her head buried in his side, staining his shirt with her tears as the thought repeated over and over again in her head: 'please, let him return here one day.'

Filolial Sanctuary: Shortly Before the Third Wave

"So that's the current state of things," said Fitoria with a sigh on her usual perch as she received the latest news of the outside world from a pink-feathered member of her family. "At least two of the heroes managed to cause a fair bit of harm to some innocent villages, and you believe the Bow Hero might have caused an issue as well?" The pink Filolial nodded its head in affirmation, eliciting a small sigh from the winged queen. "Mistakes are to be expected I suppose. The previous heroes made a number of their own mistakes after all. The real question is whether or not they'll learn from them."

Her family member gave another couple of squawks and chirps, saying there was also news about the Shield and Armory Heroes. "Are they faring well? If I remember correctly you said they'd both managed to form their own parties and were actually working together as, what was the term, traveling merchants." The pink Filolial nodded before continuing its explanation. "Yes they would have to resort to other methods to gain currency if the king of Melromarc's hatred for the Shield Hero is as deeply rooted as I suspect, but at least-what did you just say?"

Her relative repeated its earlier sentence, this time chirping and squawking a little slower to insure its queen heard every detail. "You say he has hatched and raised a dragon with one of the dragon emperor fragments?!" Fitoria said with her voice actually rising a bit at the news. "I know I at least told him about why Filolials hated dragons, but if he doesn't know about the fragment then he could be unknowingly raising the next dragon emperor."

The pink Filolial chirped again, this time with a sentence that actually confused the Filolial Queen. "You're saying it's a flying dragon that he's tamed and turned into a mount? And that he and the Shield Hero are somehow managing to foster some type of peace between it and another Filolial?" Her relative shook its head in the affirmative, getting yet another sigh out of the winged girl. "Well there's little we can do right now with the next wave so close. For now, continue keeping an eye on my potential successor and the possible dragon emperor."

Her relative nodded once more before turning and heading off. Now that she was alone again, Fitoria actually let her face twist into an angry pout at the thought of her former student befriending and riding a dragon. 'After all I did for you and the thanks I get is you picking a dragon for a mount.' It didn't take long for her to make up her mind on the matter: she was going to have a few choice words for Darius Saxon the next time she saw him.

Filolial Sanctuary: After Johann and Filo's Test

The last couple of days had been, surprising, to say the least. And as a being who'd been around for a while, Fitoria was not easily surprised these days. As agitated as she'd been at the fact that Darius had hatched and raised a dragon, most of her anger had melted away upon seeing him again. Especially considering how he'd continued aiding the current Shield Hero. It said a lot about his character that he'd stuck with someone ostracized by society and made her swell with a bit of pride that her warnings about the lies surrounding the Shield Hero had been heeded. Though she had still needed to express some disappointment at her former student, lest he and some of her more rowdy family members think she was getting soft. Sadly, her joy at the reunion had to come second to her duties as the Filolial Queen and she'd needed to make it perfectly clear to the Shield Hero just how slippery of a slope the world was really on.

To her annoyance, though, the Shield Hero proved to be just as stubborn as he claimed the other three heroes to be when it came to them working together to defend the world. So in an effort to kill two dragons with one stone, at least she thinks that's how the phrase went, she was forced to take the second princess, sweet Mel, hostage in order to fully express how serious she was about wanting to protect the world. It had also allowed her to test the abilities of the two mounts, Johann and Filo, to see if they were worthy of fighting alongside the Shield and Armory heroes against the waves. It was a tense few minutes where she was almost certain they would fail, but at the last minute the two natural enemies managed to work together and actually mark her face and neck.

It had made her very happy seeing them succeed, because it meant that her former student and the current Shield Hero were in good hands, and that she could stop pretending to be unfeeling about the whole situation. Even Melty, the one she'd taken hostage, was willing to forgive her actions and merely asked for a ride on her Filolial form's head in return for the trouble she'd caused her. It was also enough to convince her that Johann could be trusted to stay by Darius's side even when the odds were clearly against him, and that was enough for her to reward him with another piece of the dragon emperor fragment in the form of a crown. Only time would tell if he'd remain that way.

And speaking of the little dragon, Johann had picked this current moment to approach her while she watched Darius dance with his weasel girl party member, Rifana. "Yo Queeny," he said as he stopped right in front of her, "I got a few questions about this whole mess you put us through."

"It was a regretful but necessary turn of events," said Fitoria, "I thought Darius's judgment about your abilities was questionable and Naofumi's own stubborn refusal to at least try to work with the other heroes was unacceptable."

"Yeah I got that much," said Johann with his arms crossed, "but why didn't you hunt down one of those other guys and tell them all this, or heck, come with us and tell all three of them?"

"I determined that Naofumi was the most likely to listen to what I had to say," Replied Fitoria, "from what I've been told, the other three heroes have been proving somewhat ineffective in the task set before them, which means they need to hear from those who've gained a better understanding of this world."

"And it had nothing at all to do with the fact that the Boss was traveling with Shield Guy," said Johann sarcastically.

"Darius used his own assessment of the situation to decide which hero he wanted to side with," said Fitoria, "had he sided with one of the other three, I would've asked him to come here with just his party so that I could hear his reasoning. Thankfully, he's proven to have at least relatively good judgment, even if he decided to keep a flying dragon for a mount."

"That's another thing," said Johann as he pointed a finger at Fitoria, "you and I both might be natural enemies, but the Boss has already figured out that I'm no ordinary dragon. The same goes for you and Filo, so what gives you centuries old lady? How come you've still got such a problem with dragons?"

"Are you really so unaware of your own nature," Fitoria questioned back, "Dragons are territorial and greedy, taking whatever lands and riches they want. What's worse, when they go into heat they don't just mate with each other but with any species they can find. Some of your kind have even managed to mate with humans."

"Hey I know I'm greedy," said Johann, "the Boss and Rifana know it too. But I also know that the one thing I want more than anything is to keep on adventuring with them and I'll do that even if it means traveling with an annoying Filolial. And what even is this mating thing anyway? I breathe fire and I've got a high body temperature so how am I not already in heat?" Fitoria sighed at this, regretting that she'd even mentioned the last part now.

"Being in heat means you are ready and very willing to mate," explained the Filolial Queen, "and because of dragons unrestrained mating habits they have produced offspring of several variants. There were no flying dragons like you until a dragon mated with another creature that was capable of flight."

"So mating is kind of like magic then?" Guessed Johann, "but if it is like magic then why is it so bad?"

"Because there is no magic involved, aside from the birth of another life," said Fitoria, "almost all living creatures are capable of mating."

"So why is it bad when dragons mate?" Johann questioned again. The Filolial Queen let out another sigh. 'Very well, it's been forever since I mentally scarred a dragon anyway so may as well tell him the whole process.'

"To begin with," said Fitoria, "I'll tell you how exactly mating works to insure you have at least a little appreciation for what dragons have done to some other species."

"Bring it on," said Johann, "I haven't apologized for being a dragon yet and I never will." Fitoria almost smirked at this as she began a lengthy explanation about intercourse. The dragon boy might not have apologized that night, but he did have to spend a good hour getting the images out of his head before going to sleep.

Filolial Sanctuary: After the Fourth Wave

To say it was a surprise when Darius and his party came teleporting into her sanctuary was a slight understatement. Sure she'd been expecting them to learn the teleportation skill eventually and had already set things so that they could enter if the need arose, but it was still unexpected. It was an even bigger surprise when he requested that she teleport them all to the ruins of the gold tyrant, a place even she didn't remember the exact location of. It was only thanks to the Armory Hero's recent acquisition of his predecessor's memories that she was able to get them there. Receiving the purifying dagger which had been cleansing the Tyrant's own armory had also been far more of an emotional moment than she'd been expecting that day.

Her happiness, but also a bit of jealousy, had risen even more upon witnessing Rifana's and Figneria's declaration of love to him. She'd been so swept up in the moment that she'd actually ran after them to the edge of their newly acquired village before remembering herself and bidding them a fond farewell. Now here she sat once again on her usual spot in the ruins of the five heroes, awaiting the next bit of news about the state of the world. Her initial happiness had been somewhat overshadowed by the news that the vassal weapon holders were appearing now, meaning that the situation of the waves was growing increasingly dangerous.

It also didn't help when Darius told her about the utter lack of help the three heroes had been to him and Naofumi in the most recent wave. "We can only hope that your plan to build up a fighting force works Sir Shield Hero, Sir Darius," she thought aloud as she looked up at the partly cloudy sky, "and that the other cardinal heroes realize their mistakes and work to improve." The sound of another one of her family members showing up drew her eyes away from the clouds as she listened to the latest report. "So the familiars have started to appear then," said Fitoria, "but something is wrong. The seal has yet to be broken, which means the sacred beast is not the one commanding them."

The yellow Filolial nodded its head in agreement. "We must watch carefully then," said the Filolial Queen, "and be prepared for the possibility that a way to stop the waves, has just become an enemy of the world."

**Ah Fitoria, the powerful Queen with a soft spot or two for our heroes. Unfortunately we now have a not so great topic to discuss and that's the fact that I have no idea what I should write for the next chapter. I'm also struggling with the decision on whether or not to move these little tidbits to their own story for when I finally resume the main story. So once again I leave my writing in the hands of you, my fellow readers. What do you think I should do next? Another side story, leave this one alone for now and work on other projects, go ahead and attempt to continue the main story with what I know about the series, oh decisions decisions. Feel free to let me know what you think in the usual manner: a comment or review with your answers, what you thought of this chapter, or if you've got any neat ideas of your own. 'Til next time everyone. **


	35. Side Story: The Woes of Royalty

**Side Story: The Woes of Royalty**

**And here we are at the newest requested side story detailing the views of everyone's favorite milf-er-matriarch and some of the views of the other countries. Now there's no major guest review questions to answer this week, but I do encourage you all to read the AN at the last part of this chapter. Now, onto the story!**

The Kingdom of Faubley: Shortly After the Summoning of the Four Heroes

Mirellia Q. Melromarc was not an easily frustrated woman, such a thing was more or less demanded by the weight of the crown. Even with the appearance of the first wave and the loss of the Lord of the Seaetto region, her trusted right hand, she still persevered and attended a world conference to discuss the matter of the waves. As expected the negotiations were tense, especially given the centuries of bad blood that existed between her country and the demi-human dominated country of Siltvelt. Even despite that, however, she and the other four leaders of the great kingdoms managed to reach a consensus on what to do about the waves: four of the nations would each summon a hero, with Melromarc being fourth in line. The country of Q'ten Lo did not rely or even really have faith in the cardinal heroes and thus declined to attend.

The situation had looked promising at the time, so why was the Queen currently sitting in a private room with her hands shaking in rage. Because of what happened the next day while they were discussing the details of the plan.

Flashback: World Conference Room the Day Before

"So in review we are all in agreement on which nations shall summon the heroes, the order they shall summon them in and which heroes shall be summoned to each nation," said the representative of Siltvelt, a turtle-like demi-human known as a Genmu.

"I suppose with Faubley being the most advanced nation we can more or less fend for ourselves if one of the nations does go rogue with their hero," said the King of Faubley in a bored tone, receiving more than a couple glares from the other gathered rulers.

"I can't say it's the most satisfactory outcome," said the ruler of Shieldfrieden, "but the Shield Hero will be among the demi-humans, so there is little cause for complaint."

"I am simply happy to hear that we're all in agreement on the matter," said Mirellia as she closed her fan out of habit, "after all, if the entire world is truly facing destruction then the only course truly open to us is-." SLAM! Everyone turned their heads to see a demi-human dog messenger running in through the doors with a frantic look on his face.

"Your Excellencies!" exclaimed the messenger as he took a few ragged breaths. "We just…received word. The four cardinal heroes have all been summoned, in Melromarc!"

"What did you say?" Said the Queen as she and the rest of the rulers and envoys stood up from their seats.

"How can that be?" asked the leader of Zeltoble with more than a hint of confusion.

"We agreed just yesterday that the four heroes would be summoned in different countries," said the King of Faubley, "what is the meaning of this?!"

"I assure all of you that I am just as surprised at this development as the rest of you," replied the Queen, doing her best to keep her composure despite her frantic thoughts. 'What did you do Aultcray? What has happened?'

"And what assurance can the Queen of Melromarc really give us," said the Genmu envoy of Siltvelt, "My people will investigate this matter ourselves! And be warned your highness, if you had anything to do with this-."

"Again I assure you what happened was not on my orders," said the Queen, "for now it seems the facts may be more than a little confused. I move to end this session for today so that we may all confirm with our own sources what has happened."

"You do that," said the King of Faubley dismissively as he turned to leave, "I'll allow one day for you to make your case then I'm returning to my kingdom. This treachery, whether it was your doing or not, still must be punished." The man then proceeded to exit the room as the Genmu moved to exit as well.

"After a decade of peace I expected better of you and your country," said the Envoy, "The Shield Hero belongs in a demi-human country. Our people demand as such."

"Then I have a proposal for all of you," said the Queen, stopping the remaining rulers from leaving.

"If it is more lies we'll have none of them," said the ruler of Zeltoble, "what could mitigate this betrayal now of all times?"

"The four heroes might have been summoned in Melromarc," said the Queen, doing her best to keep her voice even, "But we cannot keep them in the country if they wish to leave. Therefore, I propose each of you send an envoy to invite the heroes to your countries. If one or more of the heroes accepts your offer, then they shall be free to leave Melromarc and travel to your kingdom." The other rulers all contemplated this for a moment before the leader of Shieldfrieden spoke.

"What guarantee do we have that our envoys will even make it into Melromarc?" He asked.

"I shall write a letter to my husband explaining the situation, as well as have my own people do an investigation into what is happening in my absence," replied the Queen, "I'll even let your own messengers deliver the letters if it will grant you peace of mind."

"Well it will take a bit of time to put together an envoy for Melromarc," admitted the Genmu from Siltvelt, "but I warn you. Should my people hear of any mistreatment of the Shield Hero, then a continuation of war is very possible, waves or no waves."

"I shall urge as strongly as I can to my husband the importance of the Shield Hero and his treatment," replied Mirellia, "It was a long road to obtain the decade of peace our countries have enjoyed and the last thing I wish is for it to be shattered by misunderstanding."

"See that you do," said the Genmu envoy, taking a slight bow before turning and leaving the room. The other leaders followed suit while Mirellia herself made her way to the private quarters that had been provided to her in the castle of Faubley. Only once the door to her room was closed securely and she made sure no one was around did she finally let her true emotions show.

"AULTCRAY!" She exclaimed as she extinguished the lit flame in the fireplace with a wave of her fan, leaving a mass of ice in its place. "What are you thinking you old fool? In one fell swoop you may have just undone everything I've set out to achieve these past few years!" Turning around in a huff, the Queen collapsed into a chair by the window as she gripped her fan, continuing to fume in her anger.

It was a tapping on the window that broke her out of her thoughts as she looked to see her head Shadow sitting outside on the window ledge. "Would you prefer I come back at a better time your highness?" Asked the masked woman, "I daresay it has been something of a tumultuous turn of events."

"That's alright," said the Queen with a sigh, "what I want to know first and foremost is: did Aultcray summon the four heroes?"

"I'm afraid many things have transpired in your absence," said the Shadow, "this was actually the second summoning ritual the King has performed. Another one was attempted a week ago by the Church of Three Heroes, with his permission and even attendance. For whatever reason it failed and thus the King made use of the royal mages in the castle and, after much more extensive preparation, summoned the four cardinal heroes."

"So it is true then," said Mirellia with a sigh, "The only one who had that authority was Lord Seaetto. How could Aultcray even begin to believe this was a wise move? Angering all of the other nation's just to insure we had some extra protection from the waves?"

"There is, something else I daresay," said the Shadow, capturing the Queen's attention again, "Two days after the summoning of the four heroes, the nobleman Idol Rabier was killed along with more than twenty of his guards. Lord's Reichnott and Whitacre are currently working to mitigate the redistribution of lands and goods, but both of them deny that the guard Figneria had anything to do with it."

"Rabier was not the most pleasant person and likely had a number of enemies," said the Queen, "His death could merely be a coincidence."

"We're still investigating at the moment," said the Shadow, "what we do know is that Rabier was apparently keeping and torturing demi-human children in cells below his mansion and that is what provoked his killer. The children themselves are currently being tended to by Lord Reichnott."

"Then what of this vigilante killer?" Questioned the Queen.

"According to Reichnott's testimony, he was heading towards the capital I daresay," replied the Shadow.

"If possible, try and locate him," Said the Queen, "ascertain this vigilante's motivations as quickly as possible and determine whether or not he is a threat. We have enough shaking up the balance of power as it is already."

"At once my Queen," said the Shadow as she moved away from the window and seemingly disappeared. Mirellia let out another tired sigh at the news before moving over to a nearby desk and pulling out the necessary materials to begin writing her letter. 'Please dear husband, don't do anything else rash. The waves are a big enough threat without us fighting amongst ourselves.'

A Few Days Later

"This is an absolute outrage!" exclaimed the Siltvelt Genmu, "according to our reports not a single one of the heroes wished to see the envoys we sent out! And what's more the Shield Hero has been labeled a criminal by your kingdom! I thought you assured us the situation was in hand with the letters you sent to the king?"

"I can only wonder at the disappointing answers given by the heroes," replied Mirellia as they all sat in the conference room once again, "It is likely they are dealing with some recently discovered scum in Melromarc. As some of you may have heard, the nobleman Idol Rabier was slain not long ago. As for the treatment of the Shield Hero it was not my doing that led to his current status."

"And how can we even be sure of that much?" Questioned the Genmu angrily, "everything that has happened so far has been to the detriment of all our countries except yours. The next wave shall be arriving tomorrow and what are the rest of us going to do about it? If the Shield Hero dies-."

"If he is the ultimate defense that you believe him to be, then he will not fall against only the second wave of catastrophe," Countered the Queen, "And as for his treatment, I managed to make more than a few arrangements so that he will have allies for the upcoming battle."

"Allies he should've had from the start," the Genmu pointed out, "how do you know it isn't already too late?"

"I do not," said the Queen, "but if I recall, even with the help of those in Siltvelt, the previous Shield Hero still met his end there." The Genmu envoy growled at this until the leader of Zeltoble cut in.

"That is enough," he said, "what's done is done and whether or not it's true about the heroes rejecting our envoys the fact remains that we must now prepare our countries for the next wave."

"We withstood the last one easily and this one probably won't be that much of a problem either," said the King of Faubley dismissively, "what is going to be a problem is what to do after this wave?"

"What indeed," said the leader of Shieldfrieden, "my people haven't taken very well to the news of the Shield Hero rejecting our envoys either. We may not have rioting like there is in Siltvelt right now but I can't say for how much longer it will remain that way."

"Once again I can only continue to send letters to my husband and hope he sees reason in all of this," replied Mirellia, "I will even send out some of my own soldiers to insure the messages reach their destination as soon as possible. In the meantime, I will lend what aid I can with the soldiers I have here to whoever needs support during the wave."

"We've accepted enough of your help for now," said the Genmu as he got up to leave, "because the wave is so close I won't press the matter further for now. But if the treatment of the Shield Hero does not improve then I cannot promise that a detachment of our own soldiers won't find itself on your doorstep in the near future."

"I'm afraid that may go for us as well," said the leader of Shieldfrieden.

"I understand your frustration with all of this," said the Queen, "I too am frustrated at the lack of cooperation from my own husband. But it is also for that reason that I must advise against any attempted assault on my kingdom. If the four heroes truly did reject your envoys, then it is very possible you could face them in battle if you choose to war with Melromarc at this time."

"Well I guess we'll find out if they're any good very soon," said the King of Faubley as he got up to leave, "now we'd best adjourn this meeting. I don't know about everyone else but I've got a mountain of preparations that still need to be attended too." For once, the agreement was unanimous among the leaders.

Two Days Later: In the Halls of the Castle of Faubley

Mirellia let out a frustrated sigh as she handed a scroll to her top shadow. "See that this gets to my daughter and my husband as soon as possible," She said, "And continue to keep an eye on the movements of the other heroes."

"At once my lady," said the shadow with a bow before disappearing down the hallway. The Queen then proceeded to start walking in the opposite direction as her thoughts of recent events came to the surface. The wave had been successfully repelled by the four heroes, with the Shield Hero even saving a small town despite the hatred he'd endured up to that point. It was the first bit of good news she'd had in a while, but it'd been immediately overshadowed by the next report she'd received: The King had attempted to rig a duel in order to take away the slave Naofumi had recently acquired. It had not been easy to secure one in the first place and the fact that her own husband would again work to frustrate her hard work due to his petty grudges was beyond infuriating.

What had quelled her temper, though, was the rest of the happenings of the duel. The King had been stopped in his efforts by two apparently new allies of the Shield Hero: an exceptionally strong demi-human weasel girl and a human weapon conjurer who'd held him at spear point, with some kind of floating spears. Despite that, the Shield Hero ultimately accepted the duel where the weapon conjurer not only stopped Malty's interference but summoned a replica of the Bow Hero's weapon which he almost used on the King. It said a lot about her current state of mind that she was somewhat pleased to hear her husband's life had been threatened, but as it turned out, the Shield Hero's slave was happy where she was and chose to keep fighting by his side. As the saying goes, 'all's well that ends well.'

Now she only hoped that she could stop her husband and daughter's next rash action, which was apparently to name the Spear Hero the local lord of the village saved by the Shield Hero and levy heavy taxes on it. "Ah, there you are," said the Genmu envoy as he and the leader of Shieldfrieden rounded a corner, "I take it you've had no luck in improving the treatment of the Shield Hero?"

"By the sound of it, you already know the answer," replied Mirellia in as polite a tone as she could muster, "I've already sent my shadows out with a warning for the King and my daughter to back down."

"Fret not your Highness," said the Leader of Shieldfrieden, "We have come to inquire about a different matter. Apparently, someone threatened the King of Melromarc. Twice in one day."

"I see your own sources of information are quite extensive," said the Queen, "Have you come to offer your concerns about the safety of my husband?"

"Hardly," said the Genmu, "he proved himself a worthy opponent as a military tactician during our last war so he has the respect of Siltvelt for that much. No, we were curious if you knew the identity of the one who threatened him?"

"I take it you already have a few theories of your own," Mirellia pointed out as she opened her fan in front of her mouth, "we've simply been referring to him as the 'weapon conjurer' up to this point. Though one of my sources recently confirmed that he has a title which they've been looking into: The Armory Hero."

"So it is true then," said the Leader of Shieldfrieden, "the master of weapons and warfare has finally reappeared!"

"You know of the Armory Hero?" Questioned the Queen, allowing some of her interest to show. She herself had once heard the name when she was a child, but had thought it the imaginings of the other children at the time. When she poured through the records of the heroes, she found practically no mention of such a person.

"It's not such a surprise that you don't," said the Genmu Envoy, "No doubt that church of yours has hidden their existence like they have the deeds of the Shield Hero."

"Then please elaborate," replied Mirellia as she hid her mouth behind her fan again, mostly to hide the slightly annoyed look that it had taken on, "Whoever he is, this Armory Hero is in my country and has apparently proven himself capable of inflicting harm on even the King if he so wishes. Given that he's allied himself with the Shield Hero, it's very possible that a confrontation could occur."

"Well to summarize," said the Leader of Shieldfrieden, "the Armory Hero is the lesser known fifth cardinal hero. This lesser known status comes from the fact that it is usually only possible to summon forth the hero when the world is out of balance. Many debating theories have arisen as to what 'out of balance' could mean in terms of the world."

"I think all four heroes being summoned to one country might be a good indicator," offered the Genmu mockingly.

"So you say," replied Mirellia, "but my own network has managed to connect this 'Armory Hero' to the death of Idol Rabier at around the same time as the other four heroes were summoned to Melromarc. Meaning however he was summoned, it was not in Castle Town."

"That's to be expected I'm afraid," said the Shieldfrieden ruler, "no one is quite sure why, but on occasion the Armory Hero will appear in a different place than the other four cardinal heroes when the summoning ritual is used. Some theorize that his nature as a balancing force means he is summoned where he is most needed. Others believe he appears at previous sights that were used to summon the hero in the past."

"Well he is certainly fulfilling his role so far," said the Genmu, "allying with the Shield Hero in order to aid him against the unfair treatment he is suffering at the hands of the King of Melromarc. The irony is that my people will likely rejoice upon hearing that he's not only appeared but has once again sided with the Shield Hero."

"Is the Armory Hero such a popular figure in the lore of Siltvelt?" Questioned the Queen.

"It's second favorite to be precise," explained the Genmu, "Our scholars have managed to determine that most often the Armory Hero sides with one who is open-minded and inclusive when it comes to their ranks. Often this means he sides with the Shield Hero and aids him against the other countries that despise demi-humans. Had he been summoned in the past wars between our nations, it's highly likely he would've sided with one of us against Melromarc."

"So he's like a rare specimen of sorts then," noted Mirellia, "and what do you believe he will do now that he's sided with the Shield Hero?"

"I'm afraid that will depend on him," said the Leader of Shieldfrieden, "there have been one or two instances, according to our scholars anyway, were the summoned Armory Hero became an enemy of an entire country or even the world."

"Then I'd best get this information to my husband," said Mirellia, "the last thing any of us needs is a possible rogue hero."

"You should be rejoicing at the Armory Hero's appearance," said the Genmu, "whether he intended it or not, my people will be greatly relieved to hear he has sided with the Shield Hero. So much so in fact that they will likely put any plans of marching to your country on hold, knowing that our great hero is in good hands. Now then, I must be returning to my own land to continue preparations for the next wave." Both he and the Leader of Siltvelt bowed before turning and leaving.

As for Mirellia Q. Melromarc, she would wait to see whether or not now was a time to rejoice. 'I hope you're as much of a hero as they claim you to be, Armory Hero Darius Saxon,' she thought.

A Few Weeks Later: Royal Castle in Zeltoble: Private Quarters for Visiting Royals

The last few weeks had been rigorous, to say the least. Reports had been coming in one after the other about the heroes and it was nothing short of a mess. Her daughter Malty, despite receiving her decree to back down had still challenged the Shield Hero to a dragon race against the Spear Hero. Fortunately, her attempts at cheating were thwarted yet again by the Armory Hero and the Filolial mount of Naofumi, as she now knew the cardinal hero's name, proved too fast for Motoyasu, the Spear Hero's, dragon to catch.

But the good news was often followed and sometimes outweighed by bad news. Her daughter and husband had been spending the money from the royal treasury which had been intended to fight the waves on lavish living and other frivolous things. Malty had even been reported to have scared off, hurt, or even sold party members she didn't like into slavery just to be rid of them. Aultcray was little better as he had outright refused to send any answers to her pleading letters and turned away all of her messengers.

Adding on to her stress were the varying reports of the other three hero's so-called 'good deeds' resulting in the suffering of many of her people. The only thing which helped calm her worries during these times was the continued good news about the Shield and Armory Heroes. They'd apparently been traveling around under the guises of 'The Savior of the Heavenly Fowl' and 'The Merciful Dragon Knight', providing aid and supplies to several people. Even if they did charge for their services, it was obvious they were still earning the good will of the people. Something she had been having to do herself for the last several days as she traveled around from kingdom to kingdom and meeting after meeting to mitigate their leader's frustrations.

Right now was one of the first quiet moments she'd managed to find to herself this week that hadn't been traveling in a carriage or bathing. And it was marred by the fact that she finally received a letter from her husband, which merely asked if he could see Melty. "After all the letters and messengers I've sent pleading with you to be reasonable and all you have to say for yourself is whether or not I can send Melty to see you!" Spat Mirellia as she crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the fire next to a pair of paintings of her husband and eldest daughter. She'd been burning them as a form of stress relief.

"Um, Mother," said a small voice as Melty poked her head into the room, "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, Melty," said the Queen as she recomposed herself, "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"Not really," replied the blue-haired princess as she entered the room, "It's only natural you'd be upset with everything that's happened lately."

"Everyone has been upset about the current circumstances," said Mirellia with a sigh as she put a hand to her head tiredly, "The four, no, the five heroes are all disorganized with only two actually working consistently together, and the other nations keep demanding that we send them out to them."

"Has the fifth hero, the 'Armory Hero' I believe you called him, made any trouble for Melromarc?" Questioned Melty.

"He has not so far, at least nothing major," replied the Queen, "my shadows are having a hard time tracking him right now. Ever since he acquired a flying dragon he could be any number of places within hours that would take days on foot. Our most recent report has him heading up to Koteraan where the Bow Hero was recently."

"So it's true then," said Melty, "the other three heroes have been causing problems for our people."

"The Shield and Armory Heroes have managed to mitigate the damage to a village caused by the Spear Hero," said the Queen, "and word has it the Shield Hero is headed up towards the village where the Sword Hero slayed the dragon, whose corpse is now causing an epidemic. But no matter how good of a job those two do your father will still uplift the other three no matter how poor their performance. It's all so idio-." Her sentence was cut somewhat short as she suddenly collapsed out of her chair and onto the floor.

"Mother!" exclaimed Melty as she went to her side, "are you alright?!"

"I'll be, fine, I think," said the Queen between ragged breaths, "It's possible I may have overworked myself just a bit."

"You've been going back and forth too much lately," said Melty, "You need to take some time to rest. The other nations won't start a war with us now with the next wave just over a week away."

"I suppose….I have no choice now," agreed the Queen, "summon the healers. When I'm done resting up, though, I'll be needing you to do something very important sweet Melty."

"I will Mother," said the Second Princess as she helped her to her feet, "but let's get you somewhere that you can rest first."

After the Third Wave: The Countryside of Zeltoble

There always came a point when enough was enough and judging by the most recent reports she was currently going through, those were the thoughts of the Church of Three Heroes. While she had been recovering from her illness caused by overwork, her shadows had continued to keep her informed of the situation in Melromarc, and more importantly, the movements of the Church itself. The religious cult had finally shown it's hand in Koteraan, apparently, with the release of the monstrous Leshen that had once terrorized the land. It was meant to show the world that the Armory Hero was actually a false hero, but instead cemented his status as one. Between that and his liberation of Koteraan from the revolutionaries aided by the Bow Hero, Darius Saxon had more or less made his name known to the world.

Adding on to that was the Shield Hero's successful disposal of the reanimated dragon zombie that had been causing an epidemic, winning him the approval of many of her people. Enough, in fact, that the two had been joined by a small fighting force who wished to help them quell the next wave. A battle which proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to the Queen that the other three heroes were disorganized, undisciplined and prideful. The church would not take such an outcome lying down, especially when the two they despised were showing up the ones they worshipped.

But for once, this was something Mirellia Q. Melromarc had been counting on. "Your highness," said her personal shadow as she landed on the side of the carriage and looked in the window, "the other shadows are in position and we have confirmed that your daughter is currently in pursuit of the two heroes. We believe she is attempting to get them to reconcile with the king. The church of the Three Heroes has also begun moving."

"Then it is as we suspected," replied the Queen as she slid the rest of the reports back up her sleeve, "gather the subjugation force and inform the shadows to report any major happenings as often as possible. If events unfold as I suspect they will, then the Church will at last show their true colors."

"And what of the five heroes your ladyship?" Questioned the Shadow.

"It is my hope that they will be able to cooperate during this time of crisis," replied the Queen, "but we must hurry back to Melromarc either way. I've already been gone for far too long dealing with the mess created by Aultcray and Malty and it cannot continue any longer. If Melromarc, no, the world is to survive we must reestablish order. Now go and should either the Shield or Armory Hero become a threat to my daughter arrest them immediately!"

"At once your highness," said the Shadow before disappearing down the trail from whence she came. 'I've been on the defensive ever since the heroes were summoned against my orders,' she thought bitterly, 'no longer. From this point on, I will be the one taking control.' "Driver, take me to the war camp. The time has come to don my armor once again."

After the Death of the Pope: Melromarc: Private Clinic of the Royal Family

The battle had been close, too close for the Queen's liking. Nevertheless, she and her subjugation force had managed to arrive in time to save the heroes, their parties and her daughter from Pope Biscas and the rest of the Three Heroes Church. She had also finally seen the five heroes with her own eyes and her impression of them was, mixed, to say the least. The Sword, Bow and Spear Heroes all seemed more than a little confused about the power displayed by both the Shield and Armory Heroes. She believed some of the phrases she overheard were 'cheat skill' and 'overpowered,' as if the two of them shouldn't possess the abilities they did.

She still held out hope for them, though, given that they were able to pull together and fight the cult, even if the Armory and Shield Heroes were the ones who dealt the final blows. And that was another matter which had her both intrigued and worried. The Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani if she recalled correctly, was expectedly suspicious and guarded around people he did not consider his friends or party members. Then again who wouldn't be after an entire kingdom was turned against you by those with grudges against your predecessors? Fortunately, he seemed to have a fair degree of sense, which was why he'd agreed to be treated at the royal clinic with the rest of his party.

The big mystery for her was the Armory Hero, Darius Saxon. Even despite hearing about his mannerisms in comparison to his actions she still found it hard to believe he was responsible for the deaths of countless bandits based on his personality. He was much more welcoming and trusting in comparison to the Shield Hero with a notable sense of humor. But underneath that was a calculating individual who was capable of laying waste to numerous enemies, something she almost wouldn't have believed if she hadn't witnessed his power herself. There was also a sign that his relationship with his weasel girl party member, Rifana, was more than simply platonic, if their sneaking off last night was anything to go by.

Whatever their qualities, though, the Queen was faced with a dilemma as she read the latest reports from her shadows along with messages from the other kingdoms. Despite the victory against the Three Heroes Church, the other nations had gotten wind of the framing and subsequent battles between the heroes. Some demanded she honor her original agreement and send them to their kingdom immediately while the other countries had become concerned about the competency of the current heroes. Siltvelt especially was getting up in arms once again at the continued unfair treatment and near deaths of the Shield and Armory Heroes.

It made for a precarious situation that now hinged on the choices of Naofumi and Darius. If only one of them left and headed out for another country, it was still possible for Melromarc to survive. But, should both heroes chose to depart the country with their parties and journey to the neighboring kingdoms, there existed the possibility that Melromarc would come under attack by the other nations for their supposed transgressions. And Mirellia was relatively certain that if Darius and Naofumi joined the charge then not only would the other three heroes not be enough, there would be little left of her home which had put them through so much.

Her hands tightened on her fan once again as she recalled who was to blame for all of this: her own husband and daughter, Aultcray and Malty Melromarc. "Your highness," said her shadow, who was currently dressed as one of the clinic nurses, "the Shield Hero has awoken and the Armory Hero is not too far behind I daresay."

"That's good news," said Mirellia as she stood up, "please inform them that I wish to have a word in the Shield Hero's quarters. Also, send a messenger to begin preparations for a trial. Our Kingdom has suffered at the hands of fools for far too long and now their crimes shall be punished."

"At once my lady," said the Shadow with a bow before heading out. 'Yes,' thought Mirellia, 'it is finally time to set things right.'

The Queen's Royal Chambers: After the Trial of Trash and Bitch

"I'm still so relieved," said Melty as she led her mother to sit on the large bed in her room, "even despite all they were put through, Naofumi and Darius agreed to show Father and Sister mercy."

"I imagine their reasoning was to spare the two of us possible pain," said the Queen, "but I am going to repay their kindness. Your father and sister will never again have the power or authority that led to this situation. And I still have a few punishments of my own I'd like to inflict on them."

"An example does still need to be set," agreed Melty, "but what should we do now? Naofumi and Darius have no reason to stay in Melromarc much longer unless we give them one."

"You seem quite comfortable using their actual names," remarked the Queen, causing her daughter to blush a bit.

"Well I, I just got used to doing so while traveling with them," said Melty with her arms crossed, "it was easier than saying Sir Shield Hero and Sir Armory Hero all the time."

"I'm sure," said Mirellia with a smile, "but you are right, neither of them will remain without incentive. Fortunately, I just received word about the Cal Mira Archipelago."

"You want to send them all to an island resort?" Questioned Melty, "I mean they do deserve preferential treatment from the kingdom after the wrongs they've suffered, but the heroes still must perform their duties."

"Fortunately on Cal Mira, both goals are possible," said the Queen, "the island's bonus field has activated."

"That's great!" exclaimed Melty, "that means all of the heroes can level up incredibly quickly."

"And we'll of course fund the trip for all five of them," said her Mother, "that way Sir Naofumi and Darius can receive the treatment they've been deprived of for so long and the world will get the benefit of stronger heroes."

"But, there is one problem," said Melty, "the five heroes have only truly worked together one time. And from what I've seen and heard, it's imperative that they pull together consistently and not just when the situation demands it."

"Yes, their continued animosity is a dilemma that must be solved," said the Queen with a hand to her chin, "I suppose we'll just have to throw a dinner party then."

"A dinner party?" Questioned the Second Princess with a tilt of her head.

"Why not," said Mirellia, "with all that's happened lately it would do well to liven things up. And we can invite all of the heroes there with the information about Cal Mira as bait."

"Are you suggesting we not tell each one the others are coming?" Asked Melty, already guessing the answer.

"If they won't come any other way," said the Queen, "as you said it is imperative that the cardinal heroes work as one. Now then, we'd best get started-."

"Your Highness," said one of the guards with a knock on the door, "the envoy of Koteraan has arrived."

"Ah yes, the country recently saved by the Armory Hero," said the Queen, "Melty do remind me to thank him for getting the trade between our countries restarted. And get the preparations underway for tonight's dinner party."

"Right away," said Melty with a hint of a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth.

Royal Chambers: After the Five Heroes Council

It wasn't the worst meeting the Queen had ever been too. Just in the last few months alone she'd been to far worse in Siltvelt and Faubley. But it was still quite troubling in its own way. Despite their near deaths at the hands of Pope Biscas, the three heroes somehow did not believe it was necessary to share information among each other.

Mirellia did not often misjudge the severity of a situation, but in this case she somehow managed to underestimate the sheer, should she call it stupidity of the Spear, Bow and Sword Heroes. The meeting had made it clear that both Sir Naofumi and Darius lacked a degree of knowledge about their own weapons and yet just by trying numerous approaches they'd succeeded in triumphing numerous times. In contrast, the other three were set in stone about the methods they used, refusing to believe another way was better or even the possibility that each had its own merits and drawbacks. "Their pride blinds them to their own shortcomings," she thought aloud as she gazed out the window at the starry sky.

And their parties had been little better. Hardly a couple hours into the night and a war of insults turned into a full on brawl between all five groups right in the reception area. It had made her glad she'd asked Melty to keep an eye on Bitch that night as she'd topped it all off by attempting to poison the Shield and Armory Hero's parties. "We'll simply have to see what the next wave brings," she admitted, "perhaps when it is upon us the need for cooperation will become much more evident."

Royal Castle Throne Room: After the Fourth Wave

"And once again I owe a victory to the Shield and Armory Heroes," Mirellia mused aloud as she sat on her throne, going over recent events in her mind. The next wave had come sooner than expected and at Cal Mira of all places. Thankfully her own preparations for the upcoming waves had made pulling together a small fleet of ships with the necessary sailors and soldiers in time possible. The victory over the boss monster, however, was due to the actions of some new adventurers Sir Darius and Naofumi had befriended while leveling on Cal Mira.

Unfortunately, everything turned on its head once the adventurers revealed themselves to not only be heroes from another world, but allies with Glass, the woman from the last wave. Their express goal was to kill both Naofumi and Darius to extend the life of their own world. The true unreliability of the three heroes was revealed that day as the other worldly heroes, or vassal wielders as they called themselves, made embarrassingly short work of them before tossing them all into the ocean. The enemy's strength was further proven when they forced Sir Darius and Naofumi to resort to their curse series powers to fight them off. It was thanks to quick thinking on her part and the help of the Bow Hero's now former party member, Rishia Ivyred and the Armory Hero's party member Figneria that any major damage was avoided.

Ordinarily, she would've had high hopes that the other three heroes had finally learned how large of a gap in strength they had in comparison to the Shield and Armory Heroes, but reports from her shadows seemed to indicate they were still stubbornly leaning on their old methods. It was an absurdity she would need to correct. One bit of good news that had emerged from all of this was Sir Naofumi's request to restore Rurorona village. It had been his requested reward and his plans for the village were nothing short of inspired. It would serve as not only a village and a base of operations for both the Shield and Armory Hero but also as a training ground for gathering and preparing a strong fighting force to beat back the waves.

And Darius Saxon was not without his own contributions to this effort, as he used the memories he'd taken from the replica holy weapon to locate and open the weapons vault of the lost city of the Gold Tyrant, who she now knew was a former Armory Hero. The both of them had also managed to make a number of strong and/or skilled allies during their travels who were willing to lend their aid, including the newly crowned rulers of Koteraan, the Ivyreds. 'I must continue to do my part as well,' she mused as the door to the throne room opened to admit Melty. "Mother," said the Second Princess, "I believe I've managed to get a sufficient number of names together as you requested."

"Might I see for a moment," inquired the ruler of Melromarc as her daughter handed her the slip of paper. "I see, yes she is the greatest swordswoman in all of Melromarc, and I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you'd include the Armory Hero's first teacher on this list. And I do believe I've heard of at least one of these magic users and-isn't this one already at Rurorona village?"

"The old master is, yes," replied Melty, "but she has yet to give us an answer on whether or not she shall teach the heroes the true power of her fighting style. Oh, I should also mention that Figneria is actually the Armory Hero's second teacher."

"Second?" Repeated Mirellia with a hint of surprise in her voice, "but our timeline has him running into her over a week after his arrival. Who else could've trained him before then?"

"Well it seems that the place he was summoned to was the ruins watched over by Fitoria," said Melty, "she took him under her wing, figuratively and literally in some cases."

"Darius Saxon was granted the high honor of being a student of the Filolial Queen Fitoria?!" exclaimed Mirellia as she clasped her daughter's hands in her own excitedly, "You have to tell me everything!"

"All I really know is that Darius also got to ride on her head, and that she sees much of the previous Armory Hero in him," said Melty, "I could try to tell you more but he'd probably be able to give you better details."

"So the Armory Hero has been acknowledged by the Filolial Queen!" exclaimed the Queen excitedly. "Oh if there was ever any doubt about his status before they've most certainly been dispelled. Though forgotten he may have been, the fifth cardinal hero walks among us once more!"

"And if Fitoria likes him, then our nation is in good hands with both him and the Shield Hero," added Melty.

"Ah, just the thought of the conversations I'd like to have with him right now," The Queen almost shuddered at the thought. "Dear sweet Melty, do keep an extra ear open for anything they might need for their new village, and tell them to come straight to me for the more, complex matters."

"Of course Mother," said her daughter with a bow and a smile, already knowing what she really wanted to discuss with the heroes.

Melromarc Royal Castle: A Few Days into the Reconstruction of Rurorona Village

"So we're not really lacking too much on weapons at the moment," explained Darius as he stood in front of the Queen's throne, "The Gold Tyrant's vault is proving to be pretty stocked so far. What we really need is to get an influx of supplies flowing into the village along with some more hands to help with the fishing boats."

"I've heard as much," replied Mirellia, "I'm already getting the word out that a need for able-bodied fishermen and women is down there, and I'll of course purchase some of the caught fish to help restart the industry. As for supplies, this list you gave me is more or less along the lines of what I expected, though there is a higher demand for stamina potion ingredients than I initially thought. Also, some of these other ingredients are used to make a concoction meant to induce sterility in men and women alike. Why would you need something like that?"

"Oh, uh, no big reason," said Darius with a nervous laugh, "Figneria's just been showing me poison mixing to use when a more, unconventional, approach is necessary. Turns out you can do a lot with the right ingredients."

"And what if I told you I could give you access to a much larger supply than what's available on the local market," Questioned the Queen, "us royals sometimes have to resort to our own, unconventional, approaches from time to time to solve an issue."

"I mean I would appreciate it," admitted Darius as he whispered the next part, "It would get Naofumi off my back about how much money is going into it."

"Though given that it is within our own private storage, I will have to name a condition or two for granting you access to it," said Mirellia with a slightly mischievous smile. "It's not that I don't trust you with it, but obtaining the amount we have now took a fair bit of time and effort."

"What did you have in mind?" Questioned the Armory Hero as a slight chill seemed to be crawling up his spine for some reason.

"I would like you to tell me about your time training under the Filolial Queen," Replied Mirellia with a hand on her face, "you see things have been so hectic lately with all of the punishments, the wave and getting an entire village reconstruction underway that even I've become a bit stressed. But a nice story or two about those wonderful creatures known as Filolials and their ruler, Fitoria, would more than do the trick to ease my mind of worry."

"Ah shit-er I mean you don't say," said Darius nervously while vowing to give a piece of his mind to whoever told the Queen about his training. Given her reaction when Melty told her about the Filolial Queen there was a high possibility the woman would get a bit, intrusive, with his personal space. But, he also really needed those ingredients for poison mixing if he was gonna make something capable of taking down large monsters. And keep from putting any buns in Rifana or Figneria's ovens. With a nervous sigh, he made his decision. "What exactly would you like to know?"

"Why don't we start with your first impression of her," said the Queen, "and worry not, I've freed my schedule up for the next little bit. So don't spare a single detail."

"As you say, your highness," said Darius with a bow, mostly to hide the panic on his face. 'I'm gonna be late getting back aren't I?' Unfortunately, he was right.

**Sometimes it's not so good to be the King or the Queen. But either way, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and hopefully it answered many of your questions about the story thus far. Now, I got a few announcements to make. At this point I've pretty much stalled the story as long as I can and even a few of you agree that it would be best to put it on hold for a bit until the next season of the anime has come out. So that is the decision I have made: this story will be taking a break for a while until we at least get some news on the status of the Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2. **

**So in the meantime, I've decided that now is a good moment to ask you, my fellow readers, what story you would like to see next? I've already got a few suggestions from you such as a rifle/gun-wielding character by the name of Subaru traveling with Tanjiro in a Demon Slayer fic. I've also recently received a suggestion for another Rising of the Shield Hero story involving an OC named Takeshi Iwatani, Naofumi's martial arts wielding cousin who gets sucked into the land of Melromarc along with him, gaining a strange key-like weapon to boot. Other suggestions have included a Black Clover fic, an Arifureta fic and a few others, so cast your votes now for these or any other stories you wish to see and the one with the most votes shall be the next one to be written! Just leave your votes in the comments or reviews and in a week or so we might see the start of a whole new story from yours truly. 'Til then.**


	36. The Votes Are In!

**Hello to all my fellow readers! The time has come to announce the next upcoming fan fiction that has been selected by your votes. It was a close race but the winner by two votes is: **

**DEMON ****SLAYER **

**That's right our next story shall be in Japan's Taisho period with my newly suggested rifle/revolver/explosive wielding OC, Subaru (still working on a last name) accompanying his family friend Tanjiro on a quest to return our lovable demon Nezuko back to a human being! **

**To give you an idea of the results, here they are: Demon Slayer: 7 votes, ROTSH: 5 votes, Arifureta: 4 votes, Black Clover: 3 votes, Other: 2 ****votes **

**Once again I'd like to thank you all for taking your time to cast your vote for what shall hopefully be another entertaining story for everyone to read. And for those wondering, I plan to get the first chapter of the new story released this week, so look for the title: Breath of the Rifleman. Once again, thank you all for your reviews, comments and critiques on this and all my stories up to this point. So see you all at the next story! **

**Oh and a real quick note I forgot to address: I am not abandoning this story. For those of you who don't already know I have simply decided to halt this story for now until season two of the Rising of the Shield Hero comes out. Once it returns, so too shall the Armory Hero, his lovely lady companions and everyone's favorite greedy dragon boy! So feel free to send any updates you might have about season two of the show because I cannot wait to keep writing this one. 'Til then.**


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